NEW YORK—Now that we’re fully into August, many families around the country are also fully into the back to school season. For some, school has already started, while others wait for Labor Day to mark the beginning of the academic year—but either way, back to school is on the brain, and on the eyes.

Since March of last year, children’s extended screen time during the school year has been a concern for parents, teachers and ECPs. This August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month, an initiative which aims to approach this concern in addition to amblyopia, strabismus and refractive errors, such as myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism in children. Prevent Blindness reports that “nearly three percent of children younger than 18 years are blind or visually impaired, defined as having trouble seeing even when wearing glasses or contact lenses.”

The goal of Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month is to “provide the public with helpful information to put kids on the path to a lifetime of healthy vision,” Prevent Blindness said. To kick off the month, Prevent Blindness coordinated with Children’s Vision Massachusetts and School Health to create a brand new web resource, as well as free “Children’s Vision Digital Screen Tips” posters in English and Spanish, which are available for download at https://preventblindness.org/childrens-screen-time-tips/. The National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness (NCCVEH) also provides a wide variety of free, informational resources about everything from baby’s developing sight, to school readiness, to recommended eye protection for sports and UV.  NCCVEH also recently published the second edition of its Children’s Vision and Eye Health: A Snapshot of Current National Issues report, which is available online for free.

OneSight is also introducing new initiatives for children’s eye health this month, including its partnership with Nickelodeon International’s “Together for Good.” The partnership, which VMail covered earlier this week, will educate children and their families on the importance of eye health, clear vision and access to vision care on a global scale. Leveraging Nickelodeon’s network, the messaging will broadcast to more than 67 million households.

In addition to these large, global initiatives, ECPs are getting involved with children’s vision care this month on their own scales, mostly on social media. This weekend, we’re taking a look at just a few ways ECPs and organizations are reaching out to parents, kids and families to protect children’s vision and start the school year off on the right foot.

The team at Rise Pediatric Therapy in Arvada, Colorado, pointed out that Children’s Eye Health and Vision Month can also be an excellent opportunity to teach children about what life can be like for people who live with low to no vision. Image via risepediatrictherapy on Instagram.


FYidoctors took to Instagram to share some common warning signs parents and teachers should look out for when it comes to protecting children’s vision. Image via fyidoctors on Instagram.


The team at the Spectacle Shoppe in Orlando, Florida, shared information on why getting a comprehensive eye exam is so important for children’s overall health and wellbeing. Image via thespectacleshoppe on Instagram.


Hayley Williams, OD, who practices at Millennial Eye Care in Wichita, Kansas, explained what the difference is between an eye exam at a pediatrician’s office and a comprehensive eye exam with an optometrist. Image via millennialeyecare on Instagram.


Adam Ramsey, OD, and the team at Socialite Vision in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, pointed out that one in four students need glasses, although they might not know that themselves or being able to communicate it to their parents. Image via socialitevision on Instagram.