Empowering Equity Scholarship

$15,000 Scholarship
Deadline: June 4, 2023

Investing in the education of future optometrists and sustaining a standard of equity in the profession of optometry.

Empowering Equity Scholarship

$15,000 Scholarship
Deadline: June 4, 2023

Investing in the education of future optometrists and sustaining a standard of equity in the profession of optometry.

VSP Vision™ and Black Eyecare Perspective are proud to unite in their efforts to support the 13% Promise, the mission to improve and increase representation of Blacks and African Americans in the optometric industry to align more closely with the United States Census population.

The collaborative effort empowers us to create a $15,000 scholarship, investing in the education of future optometrists and supporting the shared commitment to create pathways that sustain a standard of equity in the profession of optometry.

For the inaugural opportunity, two students from the Class of 2024 will be awarded the ‘Empowering Equity Scholarship’ ($15,000 each). In 2024, one student from the Class of 2025 will be awarded the scholarship.

Deadline

June 4, 2023 at 11:50 PM PST

Eligibility

  • Current Class of 2024 (OD3) optometry student enrolled in an ASCO associated school or college of optometry 
  • Minimum 3.0 GPA

Winners Announced

Winners and winning videos will be shared at the 2023 National Optometric Association (NOA) Annual Conference in Fort Lauderdale, FL between July 7 – 9.

How to Apply

Eligible candidates must submit the following:

1. Complete and submit the application which highlights:

  • Leadership examples such as roles, experience and/or qualities
  • Community involvement
  • Related optometric or optical industry experience

2. Create a Public Service Announcement (PSA) video that addresses “How can communities of color improve eye health and eye health awareness?”

  • PSA Guidelines – Your public service announcement should be short, no more than five minutes. It should educate the public about the topic, engage them at a cultural level, and persuade them to prioritize eye health as overall health. The best PSAs grab the viewer’s attention and entertain while educating. Remember, one of the barriers to access is knowledge. Your mission is to give the topic life and help the community learn more about overall health.
  • Accepted file types: YouTube link, .mp4, .mpeg, .mov, and .wmv.
  • By submitting your video, you are allowing both Black Eyecare Perspective and VSP Vision to use it for future outreach or community engagement.
  • Applicant must complete a Testimonial and Photo Release Form. Additionally, each person(s) in your video, if any, will need to complete a Media Release form to be submitted with your application.

Submit your application and video file/link to education@vspglobal.com.

Questions? Email us at education@vspglobal.com.

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