Halloween

When we last saw the masked mischief-makers, they had hitched their way back to the Bay, spent some quality time with protégées, and properly continued their annual reign of terror. 

Well folks, the boys are back in town, they are in killer shape, and just like that...the chase is on! Get your running shoes laced up, the guys are ready to slay another spooky season! So, if you want to survive another season, make sure you don't split up from your group, avoid stairs, and most importantly, don't ever say "I'll be right back"!

I had the absolute pleasure to photograph such a life changing moment when Senator Tim Scott, Mayor John Tecklenburg and Vision To Learn Founder Austin Beutner helped 57 children at Stono Park Elementary School try on their new eyeglasses on January 10th.

Stono Park Elementary School is among the schools visited by this program in fall 2021. 304 students received vision screenings at the school, 74 were provided with eye exams, and 57 students were provided with glasses.  This is just one of 51 schools in a district with over 50,000 students that will receive free school-based vision services through a collaboration between nonprofit provider Vision To Learn, Charleston County School District, and MUSC Health. 

Vision To Learn (VTL) partners with school districts through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that outlines the responsibilities of Vision To Learn and the district. Vision To Learn’s program model makes it easy for students to access eye care, and easy for schools to bring Vision To Learn to campus. Typical district responsibilities include coordinating consent forms for exams and escorting kids from the classroom to the mobile clinic. The program begins with vision screenings for all students, utilizing medically appropriate tools. 

Vision To Learn’s program in Charleston is a 1-year pilot authorized by the South Carolina legislature. To continue service, the program is seeking a legal change allowing nonprofit mobile vision clinics to visit Title I school sites and help underserved children in the Charleston region. By acting in this year’s session, the legislature would make possible an effort which will help children in schools in CCSD and nearby communities for years to come.

For more information on Vision To Learn, please visit www.visiontolearn.org. 

https://visiontolearn.org/news/launch-of-vision-to-learn-program-in-charleston/