WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Contact Lens Institute (CLI) and the International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE) have announced a collaboration to provide university-level instructors with direct access to CLI-developed research publications and practice tools. Under the new agreement, nearly 950 IACLE members—spanning more than 600 academic institutions and 81 countries—will be able to view and download CLI training and professional development materials from IACLETOP, the organization’s digital resource and teaching platform. These include multilingual assets for The EASY Way, CLI’s program to promote healthy contact lens wear-and-care, and in-depth consumer and practice management reports from CLI’s See Tomorrow initiative.

“Putting Contact Lens Institute materials in the hands of contact lens educators around the globe allows them to be even more closely connected to relevant trends and insights from top clinicians," said Bonnie Boshart, chief executive officer of IACLE. "This will translate into better preparing tens of thousands of students entering the profession, who in turn can deliver better patient care and improved practice performance.”

Established in 1979, IACLE is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising the standard of contact lens education and promoting the safe use of contact lenses worldwide. It is a leading provider of educational and information resources essential to contact lens educators.

The Contact Lens Institute advances the latest innovations in safe and effective contact lens and lens care products, and services that provide benefits to patients while satisfying the evolving needs of eyecare professionals, according to the group. Its members include Alcon, Bausch + Lomb, CooperVision and Johnson & Johnson Vision.