The Georgia Optometric Association will be offering Gwinnett County Public Schools students free eye exams and glasses while also having the opportunity to see STEM in action.
According to a press release from Gwinnett County Public Schools, the VSP Mobile Eye Clinic is scheduled to visit Meadowcreek Elementary School on Monday and Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The unit is a fully stocked, state-of-the-art, 45-foot mobile eye exam clinic featuring exam rooms, eyewear displays, and an optical manufacturing lab. Members of the GOA will donate their services to provide free, comprehensive eye exams and eyewear to selected low-income, uninsured and/or underinsured students.
The entire process should take about an hour and the time students will spend with members of the GOA will also serve as a lesson in STEM. Students will learn about the following:
- Science – examination of the eyeball and surrounding structures.
- Technology – use of phoropters and optical equipment to determine vision quality.
- Engineering – machining of eyeglass lenses onboard the mobile eye clinic.
- Mathematics – calculations of corrective lens strength and eyeglass frame size.
Optometry is a specialized healthcare profession employing each of the STEM disciplines. It involves examining the eyes and related structures for issues. Doctors of optometry, represented by the GOA, provide communities throughout the state with comprehensive primary eye care services.
According to statistics from the press release, about 80 percent of a child’s learning at school happens visually. An estimated one in four school-aged children in the United States has an undetected vision problem.
According to the GOA and the American Optometric Association, preschool-age children should receive at least one in-person comprehensive eye and vision examination between the ages of three and five to prevent and/or diagnose and treat any eye or vision conditions that may affect visual development. Every student should receive a full and comprehensive eye examination each year.
