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Children’s Vision Award

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Call for Nominations Issued for the 2015 Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award from Prevent Blindness and the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health

Award to Recognize Outstanding Efforts to Improve Eye Health Services for Children across the Country

CHICAGO Prevent Blindness, the nation’s oldest volunteer eye health and safety organization, and the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness (NCCVEH) announced today the call for nominations for the inaugural 2015 Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award.  The Award recognizes significant efforts by an individual or group of individuals to improve public health approaches for children’s vision and eye health at the state or national level.  

Download the award nomination form.

The award was established in 2014 by the NCCVEH Advisory Committee to commemorate Bonnie Strickland and her groundbreaking work to establish a comprehensive system for children’s vision in the United States.  Strickland served as Director of the Division of Services for Children with Special Health Needs, Maternal and Child Health Bureau before her retirement in 2014. 

Nominees for the Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award may include individuals or a group comprised of diverse stakeholders, including family and community leaders, who are implementing changes to improve children’s vision in the United States.  We are seeking nominations of individuals or groups who seek out new and innovative solutions to common barriers to healthy vision in children.  Nominees should be able to demonstrate an impact in one or more areas of a public health system supporting children’s vision:

  • Key Stakeholder Engagement or Collaboration, including representation from families and diverse racial/ethnic/geographic and socio-economic levels target populations
  • Training and Education
  • Public Awareness
  • Provision of Resources and/or Services
  • Surveillance and Accountability
  • Reduction of Health Disparities
  • Infrastructure Development- Local, State, or National Level

The deadline for nominations is June 19, 2015. The Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award Committee will review all nominations and select the award winner.

The award will be presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health, Aug. 7-8, 2015 in Alexandria, Va.  The award consists of a commemorative plaque, recognition at the Annual Meeting, and roundtrip economy airfare for one to Alexandria, Va., along with one night of lodging.  The award recipient will also be featured on the website for the NCCVEH with an overview of their innovative approaches to children’s vision and eye health systems.

“More than 100 years ago, Prevent Blindness was founded to help protect and promote healthy vision in children,” said Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “With the efforts of individuals like Ms. Strickland, and those that make up the NCCVEH, we continue that important work. The Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award gives us an opportunity to recognize the tremendous efforts being made across the country to help continue this important mission.”

For more information or to submit a nomination for the 2015 Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award, please visit http://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org/, or contact Kira Baldonado at (800) 331-2020 or [email protected].

Download the award nomination form.

Download a copy of the Bonnie Srickland Award press release.