For 30 Marietta elementary school students, a new pair of glasses brought the world into focus, some for the very first time.
Vision To Learn and UnitedHealthcare Vision celebrated the distribution of free prescription glasses to students at Dunleith Elementary School on Oct. 21. The event marked a milestone in a collaboration that will provide glasses to 137 students at the school this academic year through free vision screenings, eye exams and corrective lenses.
The celebration brought students from kindergarten through fifth grade together to receive their glasses simultaneously, turning what could have been an ordinary medical appointment into a shared experience.
Greg Ott, vice president for Georgia and Alabama at UnitedHealthcare, attended the event and witnessed the students’ reactions firsthand.
“Some of the kids actually saying to me and others like ‘I can finally see’ or ‘I didn’t realize that it could be this clear’ was a really touching moment,” Ott said.
Students selected their own frames before their prescriptions were prepared. During the celebration, they opened their glasses cases together, tried on their new eyewear and admired their reflections in mirrors.
Ott said the experience went beyond improved eyesight. Students also took photographs wearing their new glasses and decorated picture frames to bring home.
“You could just tell the energy of all the students in that room by the end of that event; it completely changed from when they first walked in,” Ott said, describing how initially nervous students became increasingly confident.
Founded in 2012, Vision To Learn is a nonprofit that brings vision care directly to schools through mobile clinics, eliminating transportation, financial and logistical barriers that can prevent families from accessing routine eye care.
Nationally, the organization has provided nearly 4 million children with vision screenings, more than 830,000 with eye exams and nearly 700,000 with glasses across 20 states and Washington, D.C. Approximately 90% of the children served live in poverty.
Ott explained that the collaboration with UnitedHealthcare began approximately five or six years ago, driven by a shared commitment to expanding access to care.
By bringing mobile clinics directly to campuses, the program helps identify students who need corrective lenses, including children who may not realize their vision is impaired.
Ott recalled hearing about a high school student in the Atlanta area who had been wearing his father’s old glasses because his family believed they would correct his vision. After receiving an examination through Vision To Learn, the student received properly prescribed lenses and could finally read clearly.
The story illustrates how untreated vision problems can affect students’ educational experiences, sometimes without their knowledge.
“It’s one thing to provide a kindergartner or a first grader who’s just at the beginning of their educational journey the ability to see the book and the board and the artwork more clearly,” Ott said, emphasizing the importance of appropriate vision care throughout a student’s education.
Beyond academics, Ott believes the program can strengthen students’ confidence and sense of belonging. He particularly appreciated seeing younger students receive their glasses alongside older classmates, making the experience something to celebrate rather than navigate alone.
The organization selects schools in communities where families face significant financial barriers to accessing health care. Ott said Vision To Learn’s growing relationships throughout metro Atlanta could allow the program to reach more campuses in the coming years.
For families and community members interested in supporting similar initiatives, Ott encouraged involvement with organizations addressing local health care needs.
“Healthcare is delivered locally,” Ott said, emphasizing that each community faces different challenges.
For the students at Dunleith Elementary, the celebration marked more than the arrival of new glasses. It represented an opportunity to approach the classroom, their friendships and their futures with greater clarity.
As Ott reflected on the importance of the program, he recalled a message that resonated with him during the celebration: “It becomes increasingly more difficult to go out and chase down your dreams when you can’t even see them.”
