The deadline is June 16.
(Press Release) CHICAGO – The National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness has issued the call for nominations for the third annual Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award. The award recognizes significprevant efforts by an individual or group to improve public health approaches for children’s vision and eye health at the state or national level. The deadline for submission is June 16, 2017.
The award was established by the NCCVEH Advisory Committee to commemorate Bonnie Strickland and her work to establish a comprehensive system for children’s vision in the U.S. Strickland served as director of the Division of Services for Children with Special Health Needs, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, prior to her retirement in 2014.
Nominees for the Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award may include individuals (such as a parent advocate, legislator, or professional) or a group made up of diverse stakeholders, including family and community leaders, who are implementing changes to improve children’s vision and eye health in the U.S. Nominees should 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 all-volunteer 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 NCCVEH annual meeting, Aug. 5, 2017, in Alexandria, VA. The award consists of a commemorative plaque, recognition and opportunity to present at the annual meeting, and roundtrip airfare for one to Alexandria, VA, along with one night of lodging.
The award recipient will be featured on the website for the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health with an overview of their program.
Past recipients of the Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award include the Pediatric Physicians’ Organization at Children’s (PPOC), based at the Boston Children’s Hospital in Brookline, MA, and the Illinois Eye Institute (IEI) at Princeton Vision Clinic, based at the Illinois College of Optometry. In 2016, Honorable Mention for the Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award was awarded to Vivian James, North Carolina Preschool Exceptional Children Coordinator for the Office of Early Learning – State Board of Education, Department of Public Instruction.
“Promoting and protecting healthy eyesight in children has been a major part of the Prevent Blindness mission for more than 100 years,” said Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “Through this Award, we are able to recognize the efforts of others who are helping to put our kids on the path to a lifetime of healthy vision.”
For more information or to submit a nomination for the 2017 Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award, visit http://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org/content/bonnie-strickland-champion-childrens-vision-award, or contact Kira Baldonado at (800) 331-2020 or kbaldonado@preventblindness.org.