The Vision Council (TVC) announced that more than $150,000 has been raised for the Open Your Eye Scholarship Program through a virtual auction, company pledges, and individual donations. 

The Open Your Eyes Scholarship Program is a 501(c)(3) charity, created by TVC through the Better Vision Institute, designed to support high school students in marginalized communities throughout the U.S. who have an interest in pursuing a career in the optical industry.

TVC has shared that the program will support selected students through monetary scholarships to opticianry school, paid internships, and mentorships.

To launch the program, TVC hosted a virtual auction from Jan. 20-27, featuring items and experiences donated by TVC’s members, including limited-edition art, celebrity memorabilia, fashion items, and unique experiences. The auction raised $19,821, all of which will be donated towards the scholarship program. 

Organizations that donated items to the virtual auction include: Ahlem Eyewear, Barton Perreira Eyewear, Blake Kuwahara Eyewear, CEV Eyewear, Christian Roth Eyewear, Dragon, Eyewear Designers of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (edCFDA), Fierce Clarity, l.a.Eyeworks, Marchon Eyewear, Privé Revaux, Reed Exhibitions, Safilo, Selima Optique, Thélios, Tura, TVC, and Zyloware Eyewear.

The auction concluded on Jan. 27 during a celebratory virtual happy hour hosted by TVC CEO Ashley Mills coinciding with the organization’s 2021 Executive Summit. To align with the theme, “A Celebration of OPTImism,” the happy hour included several special guests and announcements, including a surprise appearance from multi-Grammy award-winning artist, Maxwell, who was announced as the newest member of the Open Your Eyes Scholarship board of directors. 

Additionally, Maxwell announced a frame collaboration with State Optical Co., which launched on Feb. 1. The limited-edition Maxwell x State frame, called “Reunion,” is named after a song from Maxwell’s debut album, “Urban Hang Suite.”

“I remember getting my first pair of glasses and I remember what that did for me, how it changed by ability to learn, and how it changed my life,” says the musician. “The little boy in me wants to thank everyone here and I am excited to give this gift to others.”

State announced it will donate a portion of proceeds from the frame to the scholarship program, with a minimum donation of $5,000. The frames will be available for purchase at stateopticalco.com; through Maxwell’s website, musze.com; and through a small number of State’s independent eyecare partners. 

“This is an amazing program because opticianry is a gateway to the rest of the industry,” says Scott Shapiro, VP of Europa Eyewear, maker of State frames. “We can start to include more diverse people in the industry through opticianry.”
 
Several optical companies also made pledges during the event to contribute to the scholarship program:

• Tim Mayhew, CEO at Luxury Optical Holdings (LOH), announced the company would donate $25,000 to the scholarship program. “Two years ago, LOH founded an opticianry school,” says Mayhew. “Last year, LOH hired Dr. Tenny Mickey, Ph.D., and embraced a conscious journey to a more inclusive culture, but neither effort will be successful without the direct community outreach and development that the Open Your Eyes Scholarship is spearheading. We are incredibly grateful to be included.”
• Tracy Scott, director of philanthropy/diversity/equity/inclusion at National Vision Inc., announced that the company would sponsor six $15,000 scholarships over two years, for a total pledge of $90,000 over two years. “The ability to see clearly is something needed by people of every background, race, gender, and demographic, and we believe the optical industry should be led by highly educated professionals who reflect the diversity of the people we care for,” says Reade Fahs, CEO of National Vision, Inc. “Our investment in this scholarship improves access to education for talented students and honors our commitment to building a more inclusive future for the next generation of optical professionals.”
• Sue Downes, CEO of MyEyeDr., announced that the company would contribute $5,000 in 2021, with the intent of donating incrementally larger amounts each year. “MyEyeDr. is proud to be a part of this important initiative to support high school students in marginalized communities to access the training and education they need to launch careers in opticianry,” says Downes. “We have an exciting and vibrant profession, and we have a caring and welcoming community within opticianry. Let’s celebrate that and bring even more people into our field. This program will build a pipeline of diverse and deserving students, and we all benefit when our teams represent the communities that they serve.”
• Alessandro Baronti, CEO of De Rigo REM, pledged to donate $5,000 to the program.

Additionally, during the event, Wendy Salle, founder of Salle Opticians, an independent boutique in Atlanta, made a $1,000 pledge to the program and calls on fellow independent retailers and designers to match her. 
A new collaboration was also announced between Tarrence Lackran, TVC’s director of partnerships and programming, known as @theopticalpoet on social media, and UK-based company, Frame Chain. The collaboration, The Optical Poet X Frame Chain, will feature the “Time for Change Chain,” available for preorder soon. Until Feb. 28, the optical community is encouraged to shop Frame Chain’s website with the code “OYES” to receive 50% off their order, 10% of which will be donated to the scholarship program.