ORLANDO—Essilor of America and the American Academy of Optometry announced a new event for students, “Essilor Academic Challenge @ Academy Stadium.” The competition will be comprised of digital competition components by teams at each school and college of optometry, culminating in a final showdown at Academy 2018 San Antonio on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. Essilor Academic Challenge @ Academy Stadium will be held annually at the American Academy of Optometry meeting.

“At Essilor, our mission is improving lives by improving sight. To meet our mission the future of optometry must remain strong. We continually explore new and exciting opportunities to support future eyecare professionals. The American Academy of Optometry has done an outstanding job of getting students to their annual meeting. We believe that with the large number of students that attend, the vast knowledge they have and the excitement that they bring, this event will showcase how impressive the future is for optometry,” said Ryan Parker, OD, director of professional services for Essilor of America.

School teams will be comprised of three students at varying points in their academic career and one faculty coach. These academic teams will compete against each other in an entertaining environment to see which team has what it takes to win the coveted title. All Academy 2018 San Antonio attendees are invited to attend the live competition event held during the meeting.

“We are thrilled to partner with Essilor of America on providing this entertaining and energetic event that we hope will both engage students in building their optometric knowledge and allow them to participate in a new element of camaraderie and school spirit at our meeting,” said Joseph P. Shovlin, OD, president of the American Academy of Optometry.

Academy 2018 San Antonio will take place at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas. Registration and housing open on May 21, 2018. For more information, click here.