CHICAGO—The National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness (NCCVEH) announced that nominations for the fourth annual Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award are now open. The award recognizes significant efforts by an individual or group of individuals to improve public health approaches for children’s vision and eye health at the state or national level. The award was established by the NCCVEH Advisory Committee to commemorate Bonnie Strickland and her groundbreaking work to establish a comprehensive system for children’s vision in the U.S. Strickland served as director of the Division of Services for Children with Special Health Needs, Maternal and Child Health Bureau prior to her retirement in 2014. The deadline for submissions is June 15.

“At Prevent Blindness we believe that all children deserve an improved system to ensure that vision problems are identified early and treated in a timely manner, standards for screening and care are uniform across the country, and that appropriate surveillance and preventive interventions are in place,” said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “Through this award, we are able to recognize the efforts of others who are helping to put our kids on the path to a lifetime of healthy vision.”


Bonnie Strickland
Nominees for the Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award may include individuals (such as a parent advocate, legislator or professional) or a group comprised of diverse stakeholders, including family and community leaders, who are implementing changes to improve children’s vision and eye health in the U.S. Nominees should demonstrate an impact in one or more areas of a public health system supporting children’s vision.

The all-volunteer Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award Committee will review all nominations and select the award winner. The award will be presented at the NCCVEH annual meeting, Aug. 4, 2018, in Alexandria, Va. The award consists of a commemorative plaque, recognition and opportunity to present at the Annual Meeting, and roundtrip air fare for one to Alexandria, Va., along with one night of lodging. The award recipient will be featured on the website for the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health with an overview of their program.

For more information or to submit a nomination for the 2018 Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award, click here or contact Kira Baldonado at (800) 331-2020 or kbaldonado@preventblindness.org.