Communities In Schools of Houston Partners to Bring Free Eye Exams and Glasses to Alief and Royal ISD Students

Read the front-page Houston Chronicle article here.

Communities In Schools of Houston teamed up with VSP Eyes of Hope for a two-day event to help students in Alief and Royal Independent School District begin the school year with clear vision and the tools they need to learn. During the event, students received free eye exams and prescription glasses to support their academic success and overall well-being.

“My kids are excited for this because a lot of them play sports, so not only is it helping them academically, but it's also helping them with their extracurricular activities and opening doors for them to excel in sports,” said Rylei Jaramillo, CIS Student Support Manager for Royal Junior High School.

Good vision is a key foundation for learning—research shows that up to 80% of classroom activities depend on visual skills. With that in mind, CIS of Houston helped organize the vision care event so students could start the year without vision barriers interfering with their education.

“Seeing clearly should be easy. I tell my patients, if you’re working really hard to focus on your vision, and you’re often squinting to see things, it’s going to be difficult to concentrate at the same time,” said Dr. Matthew Pham, a volunteer eye doctor with VSP Eyes of Hope.

In addition to receiving eye exams and glasses, students were also given books from Bess the Book Bus, combining vision support with literacy resources to provide a broader range of learning tools.

CIS staff and volunteers helped ensure every participating student had a positive experience, encouraging children and their families to take advantage of the free services offered. This collaborative effort reflects CIS of Houston’s commitment to helping remove obstacles that can hinder learning so that students are better positioned to thrive in the classroom.

Photo Credit: Kirk Sides/Houston Chronicle