With the season of giving approaching, The Vision Council Foundation is rallying support for its Opening Your Eyes Scholarship Program (OYES), a national initiative dedicated to supporting the next generation of opticians.
OYES provides tuition assistance, certification support, and career resources for students pursuing opticianry degrees at accredited institutions programs across the United States. In the past 5 years, the program has awarded more than 35 scholarships and distributed more than $340,000 to help students overcome financial barriers and enter the optical workforce.
“The Opening Your Eyes Scholarship Program directly addresses the optician shortage by making education accessible to students who want to join our profession.”
“The Opening Your Eyes Scholarship Program directly addresses the optician shortage by making education accessible to students who want to join our profession,” says Michael C. Vitale, VP of membership, government relations & technical affairs at The Vision Council and ABO Master Optician.
Vitale says this is a call to action for the industry: “With continued donor support, we can prepare the next generation of skilled professionals who will keep our industry thriving.”
Donors can give tax-deductible contributions to fund scholarships and find more information about OYES on The Vision Council Foundation’s website.
A Need for Skilled Opticians
The Foundation’s call for support comes amid a shortage in the optical workforce. According to The Vision Council’s 2024 Provider inSights Report, 36% of eyecare providers rank the scarcity of opticians as a one of their greatest business challenges impacting.
According to The Vision Council Foundation, OYES plays a vital role in training skilled professionals to meet patient demand. “My ultimate goal is to become an optician who helps individuals feel confident, comfortable, and truly seen,” says Emi Nevot, an opticianry student at Miami Dade College. “With the support of this scholarship, I’m one step closer to making that vision a reality.”
The Vision Council Foundation’s Impact
Beyond scholarships, The Vision Council Foundation made significant efforts to strengthen the optical workforce and expand access to eye health education in 2025. Its initiatives include public awareness campaigns like See What Matters, partnerships to bring vision screenings to schools and community centers with 20/20 Onsite; and educational events like National Sunglasses Day, which promoted year-round UV protection.