The National Eye Institute in cooperation with the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), developed the VISION School Program as a unique community service project to deliver basic knowledge about the eye to elementary school children.

The JSEI Affiliates, a volunteer network serving the Jules Stein Eye Institute, sponsors this fun, educational program in Los Angeles. The goal is to effectively communicate the importance of eye care to this most vulnerable population group.

Volunteers include community members, Institute staff, students and researchers who donate their time to make the free program available in schools throughout Los Angeles County. To date, over 10,000 students and their teachers benefited from this program. For each classroom, an hour-long, interactive session is conducted on three topics:

The anatomy of the eye is demonstrated using drawings and diagrams. Common eye disorders such as myopia and cataracts are discussed, as are glasses and contact lenses. Eye safety focuses on how injuries occur and emphasizes prevention, as well as first aid. Child-oriented handouts and classroom exercises help to engage the students. A popular option offered with the standard curriculum is a dissection demonstration using a cow eye, to show students the main parts of the eye and how they work together, discussing the similarities between the cow and the human eye.

Volunteers must provide their own transportation to and from the schools. No experience is required and volunteer training of program curriculum will be provided. New volunteers will be paired with program volunteers who have experience with the curriculum.

Click here to download a Vision IN-School Volunteer Interest Form.