Optometry Cares - The AOA Foundation

10/15/2026

Future optometrists, this opportunity is for you! 👓✨

The AOA/AOSA Opportunities in Optometry Grant provides $1,500 stipends to help underrepresented minority students offset costs associated with applying to optometry school, including the OAT, application fees, interview travel, and professional attire. The program is designed to support and promote greater inclusion within the optometric profession. The application is open until December 1, 2026.

Learn more and apply today: https://www.aoafoundation.org/our-programs/opportunities-in-optometry

10/14/2026

Attention 2nd and 3rd year students! The AOA Foundation has several scholarship opportunities available, and we'd love to hear from you.

The application deadline is November 2, 2026.

For more information, visit aoafoundation.org/our-programs/optometry-student-scholarships.

10/12/2026

The Staff Campaign for The AOA Foundation is underway!

We kicked off this year’s campaign last week with a wonderful breakfast provided by the AOA Leadership Team. Throughout October, AOA staff will come together to raise funds, celebrate our shared commitment to the mission of The AOA Foundation and support programs that strengthen the profession of optometry and help our communities.

Every gift makes a difference and we’re excited to spend the month recognizing the impact we can make together!

09/24/2026

📚 You never know what fascinating stories you’ll discover in Hindsight, the open-access journal of the Optometric Historical Society.

Did you know that a small-town Massachusetts optometrist, Irving Fradkin, OD, started a scholarship fund in 1958 called Dollars for Scholars to help local students pursue their dreams? That grassroots effort grew into Scholarship America, which has since awarded more than $6 billion in scholarships to 3.5 million students nationwide.

Talk about vision beyond the exam chair. 👁️✨

Read more about Dr. Fradkin’s incredible legacy in Hindsight: https://scholarworks.iu.edu/journals/index.php/hindsight/article/view/23708/29423

09/24/2026

👶✨ Healthy Vision. Brighter Tomorrows.

During InfantSEE Week, we're raising awareness about the importance of early eye care. Undetected vision problems can impact a child’s development, but early detection can make all the difference.

InfantSEE provides a FREE comprehensive eye assessment for infants between 6 and 12 months of age. Because small eyes deserve big futures. 💙

08/27/2026

Long before retinal cameras, OCT, and digital imaging, optometry students relied on ingenious teaching tools like the Fisher Schematic Eye to learn ocular anatomy, optics, and disease.

Developed in the early 1900s, these models used interchangeable retinal images to simulate different ocular conditions and allowed students to practice examining the eye without a patient.

A fascinating look at how optometric education has evolved, and how much of what we learn today is rooted in these early innovations. What do you see in pictures A, B, and C? Leave your answer in the comments! 👀

07/30/2026

The Tonomat is a portable, constant-force applanation tonometer developed in the 1960s by Dr. Adolph Posner and Richard Inglima. Designed as a handheld alternative to many traditional clinical devices, it functions by flattening a known area of the cornea using a standardized weight (5g) and features disposable plastic endplates to prevent cross-infection. The patient is placed in a supine position and is directed to focus on a fixation target. Silver nitrate is placed on the endplate which is placed on the instrument. The endplate is then placed on the cornea. The size of the ring formed on the silver nitrate is measured which yields the intraocular pressure. The Tonomat became popular with optometrists since it didn't require the use of a topical anesthetic as the use of DPAs were not allowed at that time.

07/22/2026

Today we're spotlighting Opportunities in Optometry grant recipient Chelsea Christie!

"Receiving this grant will help me in many ways by covering exam costs, educational materials, and application fees. It will enable me to continue working toward a career dedicated to expanding access to quality eye care for underserved communities while advocating for greater representation and equity within the profession. I’m so grateful for the AOA Foundation for their generosity and for investing in my education and professional growth."

Learn more about OiO: aoafoundation.aoa.org/our-programs/opportunities-in-optometry. This fund is designed as a one-time stipend for under-represented minority students interested in the field of optometry to help defray the costs associated with applying to optometry school.

07/16/2026

Are you an eyecare professional interested in learning what to look for during an infant or child eye exam and how to treat or prescribe medications based on the age of the child being examined? Check out our recorded webinar Understanding Pediatric Eye and Vision Examination: Chairside Guides on EyeLearn.

Thank you to Johnson & Johnson - Vision for supporting this webinar and keep an eye out for part 2 of this webinar series coming this Fall!

Link to recorded webinar: https://eyelearn.aoa.org/learn/course/786/aoa-od-talks-webinar-series-understanding-pediatric-eye-and-vision-examination-chairside-guides-1-aoa-ce-hour?generated_by=13036&hash=5fcb9372fdb6645692882afee7e2a5c3c401ae0f

07/01/2026