The Vision Council Foundation is calling on the optical community to help shape the next generation of opticians through its Opening Your Eyes Scholarship Program (OYES).

The national initiative provides tuition assistance, certification support, and career resources to students pursuing opticianry degrees at accredited institutions across the United States. Over the past 5 years, the Foundation has awarded more than 35 scholarships and distributed over $340,000 to aspiring opticians in partnership with 16 colleges nationwide.

According to The Vision Council’s 2024 Provider inSights Report, 36% of eye care providers cite a severe shortage of opticians as one of their biggest business challenges. The Foundation’s efforts aim to ease that burden by building a stronger pipeline of trained professionals.

“This is a call to action for our industry,” said Michael C. Vitale, VP of membership, government relations & technical affairs at The Vision Council and an ABO master optician. “The Opening Your Eyes Scholarship Program directly addresses the optician shortage by making education accessible to students who want to join our profession. With continued donor support, we can prepare the next generation of skilled professionals who will keep our industry thriving.”

In 2025, The Vision Council Foundation marked several achievements that further its mission to expand access to vision care and education. The Foundation launched public awareness campaigns such as See What Matters, emphasizing both the importance of vision health and career opportunities in optics. It also brought vision screenings to schools and community centers through a partnership with 20/20 Onsite, and hosted educational events for National Sunglasses Day to promote year-round UV protection. The Foundation continued to award tuition and funding through OYES, enabling students from diverse backgrounds to enter the field with strong clinical and technical skills.