By Staff
Wednesday, January 20, 2021 12:24 AM
ALEXANDRIA, Va.—
The Vision Council, through the Better Vision Institute, is launching the Open Your Eyes Scholarship Program, a 501(c)(3) charity designed to support high school students in marginalized communities throughout the U.S. who have an interest in pursuing a career in the optical industry. The program will support selected students through monetary scholarships to opticianry school, paid internships and mentorships. The intent of the program is to launch a far-reaching effort that can expand to other segments of the industry.
By Staff
Monday, December 14, 2020 12:15 AM
New York—As part of the mission to advance diversity and inclusion at SUNY College of Optometry, the College's President's
Task Force on Race and Equity (TFRE) rolled out the first of many programs to promote active participation, understanding, and dialogue among campus members on cultural difference.
By Staff
Thursday, December 10, 2020 12:15 AM
NEW YORK—The
Tent Partnership for Refugees, a network of over 130 major companies committed to integrating refugees, and the
Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC), the educational arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, have joined forces to mobilize businesses in North America to support LGBTQ refugees. Altogether, 23 companies have announced their collective commitment to provide mentorship opportunities to approximately 1,250 LGBTQ refugees over the next three years. Among them is
Warby Parker, according to an announcement yesterday.
By Staff
Wednesday, December 9, 2020 12:12 AM
ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The Vision Council announced additional details about the
2021 Executive Summit, taking place for the first time in a completely virtual format from January 26-28, 2021 under the banner of “An OPTImistic View of the Future.”
By Staff
Monday, November 23, 2020 12:15 AM
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Vision Council is extending the deadline to participate in the 2020 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Survey until Tuesday, November 24 at midnight.
By Staff
Thursday, November 12, 2020 6:58 PM
NEW YORK—American Express’
#ShopSmall initiative has taken on new dimensions in this unique year, extending the spotlight on the importance of supporting local small businesses to consumers in a range of categories. Just last month, Amex launched a new podcast, “Built to Last,” a series of conversations with trailblazing Black small business owners. The podcast is hosted by Elaine Welteroth, the former editor-in-chief of
Teen Vogue, journalist, producer and
New York Times best-selling author. Welteroth said, “I am excited to partner with American Express to shine a light on Black entrepreneurs that are blazing new trails and finding innovative ways to thrive despite unprecedented challenges.”
By Staff
Monday, November 9, 2020 12:27 AM
ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The Vision Council today announced the launch of the
2020 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Survey. Developed in partnership with Nonprofit HR, one of the leading full-service human resources firms focused exclusively on the nonprofit sector with expertise in DEI consulting, the custom survey is intended to benchmark the vision care leadership landscape in order to help organizations within the industry identify opportunities they have to promote diversity, cultivate talent and improve their performance. The survey is open to all members of the vision care products and services industry and participation is confidential.
By Staff
Wednesday, October 28, 2020 12:24 AM
NEW YORK— Dr. C. Clayton Powell, a co-founder of the
National Optometric Association (NOA), passed away Friday in Atlanta where he had practiced for many years. He was 93.
By Staff
Monday, October 5, 2020 12:24 AM
BOSTON—
New England College of Optometry (NECO) has announced that eyewear brand
Warby Parker has established a first-of-its-kind scholarship fund at NECO with the goal of increasing Black representation in the field of optometry.
By Staff
Monday, October 5, 2020 12:18 AM
NEW YORK—An "Honest Discussion" about race in optometry was the focus of a professional and industry focused discussion, the third in a series of webinars hosted by SUNY College of Optometry last month. The session, featuring a range of professional, industry and academic leaders, is now posted on SUNY Optometry's site
here. As
VM reported, the discussion was developed to plan a further call to action, covering the issues and obstacles that impact minorities in the field of optometry, particularly within the Black community.
By Staff
Thursday, October 1, 2020 12:24 AM
ROCKVILLE, Md.—The
Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) is offering an educational webinar and resource-rich toolkit for practitioners and others interested in sharing why optometry should be a profession of choice.
By Staff
Monday, September 28, 2020 12:24 AM
NEW YORK—Participation and interest is widening for the upcoming inaugural event, "IMPACT HBCU: If You See It, You Can Be It," an initiative developed to increase awareness of the optometric profession to students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. It will also, organizers said, raise the visibility of Black and African American optometrists in the community.
By Staff
Friday, September 25, 2020 12:27 AM
ST. LOUIS—The
American Optometric Association (AOA), moving to follow-up on its
earlier statement on the national dialogue around diversity following the death of George Floyd, has taken the opportunity to look inward and assess how the organization can be even more impactful and focus on advocacy for doctors, patients and as a profession. One of the results has been the effort to develop a board-level Diversity and Inclusivity Task Force appointed by AOA president William T. Reynolds, OD.