The Vision Council (TVC) Foundation has launched its annual Season of Giving campaign to support the Opening Your Eyes Scholarship Program (OYES), a national initiative aimed at addressing the optical industry’s ongoing shortage of skilled opticians.
The program provides tuition assistance, certification support, and career resources to students pursuing opticianry degrees at accredited institutions across the U.S. Since its inception five years ago, OYES has awarded more than 35 scholarships and distributed over $340,000 in funding through partnerships with 16 colleges.
The initiative comes as demand for qualified opticians continues to rise. According to TVC’s 2024 Provider inSights Report, 36% of eyecare providers cite a shortage of opticians as one of their top challenges. TVC Foundation’s efforts are intended to help strengthen the workforce and ensure continued access to high-quality vision care.
This year, TVC Foundation also expanded its public awareness and education efforts, including the See What Matters campaign promoting vision care and optical careers, community vision screenings with 20/20 Onsite, and National Sunglasses Day events focused on UV safety.
TVC Foundation’s Season of Giving campaign encourages industry members, organizations, and individuals to contribute to the OYES program ahead of Giving Tuesday on Dec. 2. Donations will help fund scholarships at all 16 partner schools in 2026. More information is available here.