BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//National Center - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:National Center X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for National Center REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20230312T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20231105T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20240310T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20241103T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20250309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20251102T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20260308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20261101T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20270314T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20271107T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260423T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260423T160000 DTSTAMP:20260425T180811 CREATED:20260223T103308Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260223T103308Z UID:39946-1776956400-1776960000@nationalcenter.preventblindness.org SUMMARY:A Shared Vision: Building Community Partnerships for School-Based Eye Care Programs DESCRIPTION:Join the NCCVEH and our partners\, the School-Based Health Alliance and the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved\, for a free 2-part webinar series focused on meeting children’s vision needs in schools. These webinars are geared to Community Health Centers\, school nurses\, administrators\, and anyone seeking to meet children’s vision needs in the school setting. \nA Shared Vision: Building Community Partnerships for School-Based Eye Care Programs”\nDate: Thursday\, April 23\, 2026\, from 3:00 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET \nWebinar Topics: \n\nStrengthening systems and partnerships that expand children’s vision services in schools and communities\nEffective models for integrating vision screening\, referral\, and follow-up care into school health programs\n\nPresenters: \n\nMeagan Baker\, OD\, Director of Vision Services for Cherry Health (Grand Rapids\, Michigan)\nRebecca Chown\, OD\, Founder and Executive Director of Envision EyeCare for All\n\nRegister URL:https://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org/calendar/a-shared-vision-building-community-partnerships-for-school-based-eye-care-programs/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/02/webinar-featured-image.jpg LOCATION:https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lDEeuUdXSq-9-2DpKnbadg#/registration END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260319T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260319T150000 DTSTAMP:20260425T180811 CREATED:20260223T101750Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260223T101750Z UID:39944-1773928800-1773932400@nationalcenter.preventblindness.org SUMMARY:Clearer Futures: Identifying Eye Needs in School-Age Children DESCRIPTION:Join the NCCVEH and our partners\, the School-Based Health Alliance and the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved\, for a free 2-part webinar series focused on meeting children’s vision needs in schools. These webinars are geared to Community Health Centers\, school nurses\, administrators\, and anyone seeking to meet children’s vision needs in the school setting. \nWebinar 1: “Clearer Futures: Identifying Eye Needs in School-Age Children”\nDate: Thursday\, March 19\, 2026\, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET \nWebinar Topics: \n\nRecognizing and addressing vision challenges that impact student health and academic success\nEffective strategies for identifying eye care needs\nPractical approaches to promoting early detection and delivering essential vision services for all children\n\nPresenters: \n\nSara Bode\, MD\, Medical Director of Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s School Health Services\nAngel Barajas\, OD\, Assistant Professor at Western University of Health Sciences\, College of Optometry\n\nRegister Today! URL:https://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org/calendar/clearer-futures-identifying-eye-needs-in-school-age-children/ CATEGORIES:Education ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/02/school-aged-children-glasses.jpg LOCATION:https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1pWHzlNBScaOzLTsu7w0IA#/registration END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260115T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260115T150000 DTSTAMP:20260425T180811 CREATED:20260106T104311Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260107T135718Z UID:39929-1768485600-1768489200@nationalcenter.preventblindness.org SUMMARY:"Eye Learn About" Lessons to Keep Children's Eyes Healthy DESCRIPTION:Join this webinar to explore the “Eye Learn About” series of lessons from the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health. The lessons for young children ages 4 to 6 years cover eating vitamin-rich foods that can keep eyes healthy\, understanding when children need eyeglasses\, and protecting eyes from injury and sun damage. Gain practical tips for teaching children these eye health lessons\, explore fun interactive learning activities\, and hear from Head Start staff who are currently using the series in their classrooms. This webinar is offered with simultaneous Spanish interpretation. Donna Fishman\, Director of the NCCVEH\, is the featured presenter\, along with staff from the East Coast Migrant Head Start Project. URL:https://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org/calendar/eye-learn-about-lessons-to-keep-childrens-eyes-healthy/ CATEGORIES:Education ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2026/01/preschool-child-wearing-glasses.jpg LOCATION:https://go.edc.org/Eye-Learn-About-011526-Register END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251029T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251029T200000 DTSTAMP:20260425T180811 CREATED:20250929T073722Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250929T073722Z UID:39907-1761764400-1761768000@nationalcenter.preventblindness.org SUMMARY:2025 Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children's Vision Award Presentation DESCRIPTION:“Eye Thrive\,” has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award\, specifically for its “Wraparound Vision Services” program. \n \nEye Thrive’s mission is to give children\, specifically low-income kids throughout the St. Louis\, Mo. metropolitan region\, the ability to thrive through access to essential vision care. \nAccepting the award on behalf of Eye Thrive will be Kate McKearn\, M.A.\, Chief Executive Officer\, and Brandon Hinkle\, Senior External Optics Coordinator. Both will be providing detailed presentations of Eye Thrive’s work and its positive impact on children’s vision. \nJoin Us! URL:https://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org/calendar/2025-bonnie-strickland-champion-for-childrens-vision-award-presentation/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2020/04/BStrickland-2.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250604T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250604T151500 DTSTAMP:20260425T180811 CREATED:20250416T114120Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250616T153705Z UID:39810-1749045600-1749050100@nationalcenter.preventblindness.org SUMMARY:Use Your Voice: Advocacy Strategies for Children's Vision DESCRIPTION:This 75-minute webinar provides a deeper understanding of the advocacy process\, the value and impact that individual and community voices have on the advocacy process\, and how to effectively advocate for public policies that govern healthcare\, eyecare\, and school systems to ensure they are responsive to children’s vision health needs. \nWatch the Webinar Recording \n\n \n \nThis webinar will explore the following topics\nWhat is advocacy and why is advocacy for programs\, services\, and public policy regarding children’s vision issues important.\nHow to advocate for programs and services for children with vision impairment\, rare diseases\, or other disabilities.\nHow parents of children with vision impairment can use their child’s experience in their advocacy journeys.\nThe Early Detection of Vision Impairments for Children Act of 2025 (HR 2527): how to advocate for passage of the first legislation to create a federal level program to support children’s vision health through grants to states and communities for systems improvement.\nExample of advocacy in the rare disease community with respect to the ORPHAN Cures Act.\n\n\n \n \n Target Audiences:\nThis webinar is tailored for families\, healthcare professionals\, education professionals\, and provider associations who wish to learn about the importance of advocacy\, implement effective approaches to advocate for a better state of children’s vision\, and use insurance coverage to access eye care. \n\n \n \n\n \n \n Learning Objectives:\n\nDescribe the importance of advocacy for children’s vision and eye health\nDescribe two ways parents can advocate for their children\nList ways professionals can assist families in advocacy efforts\nGain advocacy skills to access and utilize public and private insurance coverage for eye care\nGain skills to advocate for children’s vision policies and programs\, including EDVI (Early Detection of Vision Impairments for Children Act of 2025)\n\n\n \n \n\n \n \n Moderators\n\n \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n Donna Fishman\, MPH\nDirector\, National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health\nPrevent Blindness \n\n \n \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n Sara Brown\, MPA\nSenior Director\, Government Affairs\nPrevent Blindness \n\n \n \n\n \n \n Presenters\n\n \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n Bridget Benard\nParent of children with severe myopia\nMaternal and Child Health Advocate\, Doula\, and Certified Lactation Counselor\nASPECT Patient Engagement Program Graduate \nBridget Benard is a passionate advocate for maternal and child health\, with a deep commitment to supporting families through both personal and professional experience. She is a mother of three sons—two of whom have severe myopia—and has found a passion for raising awareness around childhood vision and disparities. After completing the Prevent Blindness ASPECT Patient Engagement Program with Prevent Blindness\, she has used her voice to advocate for vision health\, even sharing her family’s story with members of Congress on Capitol Hill to influence policy change. \n\n \n \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n Shannon Rohn Deere\nDirector\nLeavitt Partners \nShannon Rohn Deere is a Director at Leavitt Partners based in Washington\, DC. She provides federal policy counsel and analysis to clients as well as assists in managing multi-sector alliances. Prior to joining Leavitt Partners\, Shannon worked as a senior health care analyst at Ripple Effect Communications where she reviewed public comments on proposed regulations covering Medicare and Medicaid\, and she also served as a researcher at The George Washington University Law School. \n\n \n \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n Susan Hepworth\nExecutive Director\nNational Coalition for Infant Health \nSusan Hepworth serves as Executive Director of the National Coalition for Infant Health\, a collaborative of professional\, clinical\, community and family support organizations focused on education and advocacy promoting patient-centered care for all infants and their families. She is also a partner and senior vice president at Woodberry Associates\, a Washington\, DC-based public affairs firm specializing in advocacy coalition management. \n\n \n \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n Kim Owens\nParent of child with vision impairment\nWriter\, Parent-mentor\, Speaker\, and Braille transcriber \nKim Owens is a writer\, parent-mentor\, speaker\, and Braille transcriber. Her son\, Kai\, unexpectedly lost his sight at the age of ten. She immersed herself in the blindness community and advocated for his equal and accessible education. She believes that parental acceptance\, community building\, and equal accessible education are the three main pillars that led to her son’s success. She completed the Prevent Blindness ASPECT Patient Engagement Program. \n\n \n \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n Nicole Pratt\nParent of child with vision impairment\nPTI Co-Director\, Training Program Director\, Leaders Empowered as Advocates with Dignity (LEAD) Project Director\nSPAN Parent Advocacy Network \nNicole Pratt is a single working mom of two young adults who both have special healthcare needs (one with Retinopathy of Prematurity). At the SPAN Parent Advocacy Network\, she organizes trainings that educate parents and professionals on an array of education and health topics across New Jersey and nationally. Nicole sits on several state\, national\, and local parent-leader advisory boards. Nicole has been a member of the Advisory Committee to the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness since January 2010. URL:https://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org/calendar/use-your-voice-advocacy-strategies-for-childrens-vision/ CATEGORIES:Education ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2025/04/featured-image-school-child-glasses.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241106T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241106T153000 DTSTAMP:20260425T180811 CREATED:20240909T153118Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241210T181219Z UID:39725-1730901600-1730907000@nationalcenter.preventblindness.org SUMMARY:Closing the Gap: Helping Families Remove Barriers to Eye Care After Receiving Referrals from Vision Screenings DESCRIPTION:Watch the Webinar Recording \nPresentation Slides \nAbout the Webinar\nAfter receiving a vision screening\, a confirmatory eye examination\, and prescription glasses\, many children demonstrate improvement in academic progress\, an increase in focus during lessons\, an increase in participation and classroom interaction\, and an improvement in confidence and behavior. Yet\, only about 5% to 50% of children participate in an eye exam after receiving a referral from a vision screening. This webinar will describe two approaches to closing the gap between vision screening referrals and eye exams; provide tips for creating a comprehensive\, systematic approach to help close the gap; and introduce the “Small Steps to Eye Care Action Plan: A Conversation Guide” to help identify individualized family barriers to eye care. \nLearning Objectives:\n\nDescribe the importance of an eye examination and treatment\, if necessary\, after receiving a referral from a vision screening.\nDescribe 1 strategy for helping ensure children wear their prescription glasses.\nList 3 strategies to help resolve barriers to eye care.\n\nWho Should Watch?\nAnyone who follows up with families after their children receive a referral for an eye exam from a vision screening\, including school administrators\, teachers\, school nurses\, social workers\, care coordinators\, Early Head Start and Head Start staff\, early care and education professionals\, and School-Based Health Care staff. \nSummary\nDr. P. Kay Nottingham Chaplin\, National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness (NCCVEH) Associate Director\, reviewed research on the different academic considerations for vision\, including improved academic outcomes when children’s vision disorders are addressed. She also emphasized the importance of detecting\, diagnosing\, and treating vision disorders; following through on vision screenings after a referral; and reviewed system barriers to eye care. \nExamples on how to close the gap between referrals from vision screening and the confirmatory eye examination and treatment were provided by the other panelists: \nPresciliana Olayo’s school district (Forth Worth Independent School District) requires vision screenings within 120 days of enrollment. Due to a lack of follow-up on referrals\, the Alcon Children’s Vision Center ensures comprehensive eye exams and high-quality eyewear for students at no cost to families. Staff travel to schools to conduct eye examinations and a clinic is open year-round for all district students. Alcon employees conduct vision screenings upon receiving state of Texas-endorsed training from Prevent Blindness Texas. \nShondel Wade-Reese’s school district (Wilkinson County School System District in Georgia) faced barriers\, including missing results\, delayed screening/referrals\, and students with undetected vision issues. They worked to create color-coded essential hearing and vision program documents to reduce cross-file confusion and increase parent attention to vision screening results. The school also educates parents\, teachers\, and staff to improve and increase referrals with color-coding\, relying on a streamlined system to manage students who passed and did not pass their vision screenings. \nDr. Shanyn Toulouse reviewed the latest School Nursing Practice Framework\, which has an enhanced focus on care coordination and quality improvement for children’s vision health. To address the gaps families may experience related to health equity and standardized processes\, she reviewed a new NCCVEH tool that is currently being pilot tested: the Small Steps to Eye Care Action Plan: A Conversation Guide. This tool enables vision screening programs to work with families to identify their personal barriers to care and create action plans so students can access eye care and treatment. \nIf you want to be considered as a pilot participant\, complete this short form: Small Steps to Eye Care Action Plan: A Conversation Guide. \nPresenters\nP. Kay Nottingham Chaplin\, EdD \n \nDr. Nottingham Chaplin is the Associate Director of the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness. \n\nPresciliana Olayo\, MLS \n \nMs. Olayo is the Coordinator of Vision Care Services\, Fort Worth Independent School District\, Fort Worth\, Texas. \n\nShondel Reese\, RN-BSN \n \nMs. Reese is the Nursing Coordinator\, Wilkinson County School System District\, Irwinton\, Georgia. \n\nShanyn A. Toulouse\, DNP\, MEd\, RN\, NCSN \n \nDr. Toulouse is the Northeast Regional School Nurse Consultant\, Haverhill Public Schools\, Haverhill\, Massachusetts. \nThe webinar is hosted by the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness and supported by Johnson and Johnson Vision (J&J Vision) \nRegister Today! URL:https://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org/calendar/closing-the-gap-helping-families-remove-barriers-to-eye-care-after-receiving-referrals-from-vision-screenings/ CATEGORIES:Education ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/09/national-center-event-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241024T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241024T200000 DTSTAMP:20260425T180811 CREATED:20240829T090701Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240912T165900Z UID:39673-1729796400-1729800000@nationalcenter.preventblindness.org SUMMARY:Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award Presentation DESCRIPTION:About the Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award\nJoin the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness (NCCVEH) on Thursday\, October 24\, 2024\, 7:00pm – 8:00pm ET for the presentation of the 2024 Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award to the Alcon Children’s Vision Center in Ft. Worth\, Texas. Jennifer Deakins\, OD\, FAAO Vice President for the Alcon Children’s Vision Center and Richard E Weisbarth\, OD\, FAAO\, retired Vice President\, Professional Affairs at Alcon\, will accept the award\, provide a presentation and answer participant questions. \nThe Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award\, the most prestigious award that the NCCVEH bestows\, recognizes significant efforts by an individual or group of individuals\, to improve public health approaches for children’s vision and eye health. The award was established in 2014 by the NCCVEH to honor Bonnie Strickland\, former Director of the Division of Services for Children with Special Health Needs\, Maternal and Child Health Bureau\, for her work to establish a comprehensive system for children’s vision in the United States. Bonnie Strickland will also share remarks. \nThe Alcon Children’s Vision Center (ACVC)\, a partnership between the Alcon Foundation and the Fort Worth Independent School District (ISD)\, provides essential vision and eye health services to Fort Worth ISD students. The ACVC provides eye health education for students and families\, professional development for school nurses around children’s vision\, vision screenings\, and no-cost eye care services\, including an on-site comprehensive eye exam\, and if necessary\, free prescription glasses both in school buildings with portable equipment and a vision clinic in one elementary school that serves all district students. \nJoin Us! URL:https://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org/calendar/bonnie-strickland-champion-for-childrens-vision-award-presentation/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/09/national-center-event-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241023T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241023T133000 DTSTAMP:20260425T180811 CREATED:20240904T154724Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240923T205407Z UID:39679-1729688400-1729690200@nationalcenter.preventblindness.org SUMMARY:Virtual Office Half Hour DESCRIPTION:Virtual Office HALF Hour\nWednesday\, October 23\, 2024\, at 1:00pm ET \nDo you have burning questions about vision screening\, tools\, or closing the gap between vision screening referrals and confirmatory eye exams? \nThe National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness is providing interactive Virtual Office HALF Hours. This is a time to receive answers to questions\, join the dialog\, listen in\, or share your vision screening pearls of wisdom. \nJoin your peers in the Virtual Office HALF Hour\, hosted by Kay Nottingham Chaplin\, EdD\, even if you only want to hear answers to questions from other participants. \nThe HALF Hour is NOT recorded. \nJoin Us! URL:https://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org/calendar/virtual-office-half-hour/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/09/national-center-event-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241009T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241009T140000 DTSTAMP:20260425T180811 CREATED:20240909T152737Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240924T175145Z UID:39684-1728478800-1728482400@nationalcenter.preventblindness.org SUMMARY:Healthy Eyes\, Healthy Lives: Community Approaches to Children's Vision and Eye Health DESCRIPTION:Join Us!\nWednesday\, October 9\, 2024\, 1:00 – 2:00 pm ET \nA webinar sponsored by Prevent Blindness\, the School-Based Health Alliance\, and the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved. \nRegister Today! URL:https://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org/calendar/healthy-eyes-healthy-lives-school-based-eye-care-models/ CATEGORIES:Education ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/09/national-center-event-1.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR