Beginning with the 2017-18 school year, the Bolingbrook Lions Foundation will help Valley View School District 365U screen the vision of every incoming kindergarten student.
“Every child deserves to learn and see the world clearly,” said Bolingbrook Lions Club President Mick Kozy at the March 28 VVSD School Board meeting as he detailed plans for a nearly $5,000 Lions KidSight USA grant to fund the screening.
Kozy indicated the Bolingbrook Lions Foundation has already purchased the computerized screening equipment and is now in the process of planning for the funding and logistics of the project.
“According to educational experts, 80 percent of learning is visual, so if a child can’t see well, he can’t learn well,” Kozy told school board members. “Most young children don’t get their vision screened until they have problems learning or paying attention at school. By then it may be too late.”
If the VVSD project is successful, Kozy said, the Bolingbrook Lions Foundation hopes to expand the program to every kindergarten student, public and private, in Bolingbrook by 2020.
“The school district is very grateful to the Bolingbrook Lions Club for its generosity and assistance. Lions Club members support so many worthwhile activities in our community that help make people’s lives better,” said VVSD School Board President Steve Quigley, who singled out Lion Ron Spindel for his efforts in making this project come to fruition. “We look forward to a long partnership and are excited to be working together to provide vision screening for the children of the VVSD community.”
Lions KidSight USA is a national coalition that brings together Lions programs that screen preschool and school age kids, concentrating on children from six months to 6 years of age.
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Bolingbrook Lions, VVSD team up to provide vision screenings
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