Jersey City School Grant Secures Vision Screenings For Students

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Jersey City students will have the option for a vision exams thanks to a $15,000 grant.

Vision to Learn, a nonprofit, and The Provident Bank Foundation partnered with Jersey City Public Schools to bring vision exams and glasses prescriptions to children in the district. The investment will facilitate vision screenings for over 400 students, to be completed in school year 2021-2022. As a result, 100 students will receive vision exams and approximately 80 will receive new prescription glasses. Vision To Learn’s trained eye care professionals help students using a mobile eye clinic that travels to school sites and community organizations.

Vision To Learn provided exams to all Pre-k to 3rd grade students in Jersey City Schools during the 2019-2020 school year. In addition to serving schools throughout NJ, Vision To Learn has helped students in 12 states, from Honolulu to Baltimore.

Giovanni Restrepo, New Jersey Regional Director said, “Covid-19 has presented many challenges that have caused us to create an innovative approach to our process of screenings and exams while incorporating new safety protocols and guidelines. However, our goals and mission remain the same; Provide students with the glasses they need to succeed in school and life. We are very grateful to The Provident Bank Foundation for their belief in the well-being of children in Hudson County and to the Jersey City Public Schools for placing student’s vision health as a priority. Together we will bring critical vision care services to students in Jersey City who would otherwise go without glasses to see, to read and to learn during these life-changing times.”

The Jersey City Public Schools is a district of more than 25,000 students, of which, approximately 11,000 are in grades pre-k to third.