Three years ago researchers in Baltimore asked themselves a simple question, “Could part of the reason children don’t perform as well in poor schools and communities as they do in richer schools and communities be because poor kids are not getting glasses?” Although it may seem obvious that if children need glasses and aren’t getting them, they won’t do as well kids who do get glasses, no one had actually tested the theory. That was until the researchers at John Hopkins University decided to find out once and for all the differences eye glasses make.
They tested hundreds of second and third graders who were in an economically depressed area and determined that a full 60 percent of them would benefit from glasses. They then gave each child in need two pairs for free, and then followed the students to see if there was any improvement. Compared to the kids who didn’t need glasses, where there was no noticeable change, the reading proficiency increased significantly for the newly bespectacled children.
This coalition has already screened 18,000 students and given out over 2,000 pairs of free eye glasses. Although parents were initially suspicious of the program, as they did not have money to pay for glasses, and were surprised that their child could actually receive free ones, through a communication initiative, schools have been able to communicate with parents and show how this program is a gift for the whole family.
This fantastic program will hopefully not only be active in Baltimore for years to come but eventually be expanded to change lives of children all over the country. Such initiative and generosity really is a sight to see.
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Source: Politico Magazine
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