2023 STUDENTS OF VISION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Demonstrate to us how you will advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion for a chance to win a $2,000, $1,500, or $1,000 scholarship, a free trial pair of Transitions® lenses, and a trip to Transitions Academy 2024! Brought to you by Transitions Optical and the Opticians Association of Canada, the Students of Vision Scholarship Program supports the next generation of opticians, optometrists and optometric assistants.
Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) in Canada are quickly becoming the majority—and, as a result, more eyecare professionals are experiencing a culturally diverse patient base with unique vision care and communication needs. At the same time, the global and national conversation around diversity, equity and inclusion is driving positive changes for populations who historically have not been treated equally, and who may also be impacted by lack of access to health care and other resources to improve their health and well-being.
Recent research from Transitions Optical, conducted by Wakefield Research, demonstrated the need for further education surrounding eye health for diverse patients. In fact, 81% of Canadian consumers surveyed do not agree that their ethnicity puts them at an increased risk for certain eye issues, while the opposite is true for several ethnicities. Most respondents also do not believe their eye health can be affected by extended exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation and found that nearly seven in 10 (67 percent) of Canadians have not had an eye exam within the past year.
To enter, develop a project which shows how you will advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in order to help educate your patients and protect their vision.
Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) in Canada are quickly becoming the majority—and, as a result, more eyecare professionals are experiencing a culturally diverse patient base with unique vision care and communication needs. At the same time, the global and national conversation around diversity, equity and inclusion is driving positive changes for populations who historically have not been treated equally, and who may also be impacted by lack of access to health care and other resources to improve their health and well-being.
Recent research from Transitions Optical, conducted by Wakefield Research, demonstrated the need for further education surrounding eye health for diverse patients. In fact, 81% of Canadian consumers surveyed do not agree that their ethnicity puts them at an increased risk for certain eye issues, while the opposite is true for several ethnicities. Most respondents also do not believe their eye health can be affected by extended exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation and found that nearly seven in 10 (67 percent) of Canadians have not had an eye exam within the past year.
To enter, develop a project which shows how you will advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in order to help educate your patients and protect their vision.
Projects must be submitted by: November 10, 2023
Winners announced: December 8, 2023
Winners announced: December 8, 2023
2022 STUDENTS OF VISION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Grand prize winner Samiha shares a spoken word piece about inclusion and diversity in an optical setting.
The 2022 scholarship was inspired by research from Transitions Optical demonstrating the need for further education surrounding eye health for diverse patients. Entrants were tasks with developing a project about how they would advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in order to help educate patients and protect their vision. Submissions were reviewed by a panel of judges based on their demonstration of creativity, strategic thinking and ethics. Samiha used spoken word as a catalyst to underline the pillars she feels are most important to increase multicultural efforts in eyecare: learning, communication, education and community. Kallisha created an engaging presentation on cultural competence where she explained the existing medical bias in the optical industry and what solutions exist to create a more diverse, inclusive environment. Anil also created a presentation on relevant and tactical steps to better serve a diverse patient base.