A study from Johns Hopkins University conducted three years ago discovered that many of the students in Baltimore public schools did not have access to eye exams to get glasses to improve their vision.

This economic shortcoming prevented many from achieving and maximizing their learning ability. In 2016, the Baltimore Health Department created a public-private coalition that included the city’s public school system, Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Education, eyeglass retailer Warby Parker, and a national nonprofit called Vision To Learn in order to give students vision screenings.

Vision for Baltimore is the official name for the coalition and 3-year program that aims at performing 60,000 screenings. As of August, the program has conducted 18,000 screenings and have given out 2,000 pairs of glasses to students who needed them. 

In order to make this work, a mobile clinic comes to the schools for about a week during the school year to determine who may need glasses, per Politico. This convenient clinic alleviates worries from parents who can't take their children to an optician.  

Shandra Worthy-Owens, the principal of Dr. Bernard Harris Sr. Elementary School, said that school staff have made home visits, conducted phone calls and stayed late to accommodate parents.  

“They just supported us throughout the whole process,” Worthy-Owens said. According to The Washington Post, students in 42 plus Baltimore schools have been screened since May.

While the program is young, teachers have noticed improvements in their students' test scores all because of their glasses.