Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has been named the 2026 recipient of the Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award for his leadership in developing the Ohio Student Eye Exam (OhioSEE) program, which created a statewide system of eye care for children. Established in 2014, the award honors Bonnie Strickland’s work to establish a comprehensive system for children’s vision in the United States and now recognizes efforts to improve public health approaches to children’s vision and eye health at the state or national level.

In 2024, Governor DeWine led the formation of the Children’s Vision Strike Force to help ensure that students who did not pass certified vision screenings received follow-up eye exams and necessary eyeglasses. He subsequently developed OhioSEE to improve the system of care for children’s vision and eye health across the state.

During OhioSEE’s initial year, 1,900 children received comprehensive eye exams and 1,200 received free eyeglasses. The program currently supports mobile vision vans and temporary clinics that bring comprehensive eye exams directly to schools in 15 Ohio counties.

Governor DeWine has allocated $25 million through the Rural Health Transformation Fund to expand OhioSEE statewide and establish additional pathways for providing eye exams to children in need. “When my wife, Fran, and I learned that only 1 in 4 kids actually receive comprehensive eye exams and follow-up vision care that they need, we knew we needed to help find a solution quickly,” DeWine said in the announcement.

The National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness will formally present DeWine with the 12th annual award during a virtual event September 11.