The 11th Annual Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children's Vision Award from the National Center for Children's Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness, recognizes significant efforts by an individual or group of individuals to improve public health approaches for children's vision and eye health.
CHICAGO, July 15, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The National Center for Children's Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness (NCCVEH) has issued a call for nominations for the 11th annual "Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children's Vision Award." This national award recognizes significant efforts by an individual or group of individuals to improve public health approaches to children's vision and eye health. The deadline for submission is Aug. 25, 2025, at noon ET.
The award was established in 2014 by the NCCVEH Advisory Committee to commemorate Dr. Bonnie Strickland and her groundbreaking work to establish a comprehensive system for children's vision in the United States. Dr. 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.
"Healthy vision in our children plays a crucial role in their development, supporting social interactions and success in the classroom and beyond," said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. "The Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children's Vision Award recognizes those who make a positive impact on children's vision."
The Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children's Vision Award will be presented at a virtual event on Oct. 29, 2025. The award consists of a commemorative plaque, recognition, and invitation to conduct a 30-minute presentation at the event. Additionally, the award recipient will be featured on the NCCVEH website with an overview of their innovative approaches to children's vision and eye health systems.
Nominees for the award may be individuals or groups comprised of diverse stakeholders, including families/caregivers, community leaders, public health professionals, healthcare and eyecare providers, educators, and others, who are implementing changes to improve children's vision and reduce disparities in children's vision and eye health in the United States. Nominees should demonstrate significant impact in one or more areas of a population health system supporting children's vision:
- Key stakeholder engagement or collaboration, including representation from families and from diverse racial, ethnic, geographic, and socio-economic backgrounds
- Training and education
- Public awareness
- Provision of resources and/or services
- Surveillance and accountability
- Reduction of health inequities
- Vision and eye health infrastructure development at the local, state, or national level
- Connecting vision to overall health, early childhood development, and learning
The 2024 Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children's Vision Award was presented to the Alcon Children's Vision Center. Other previous award recipients include Danielle Crull, ABOM, author and business owner of A Child's Eyes, organizer of The Pumpkin Patch Project, and founder of the Truffles the Kitty Organization; and Donny W. Suh, MD, FAAP, MBA, FACS, Chief of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, and Professor, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, at Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine. A full listing of past recipients may be found here.
For more information, or to submit a nomination for the 2025 Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children's Vision Award, please visit https://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org/bonnie-strickland-champion-for-childrens-vision-award, or contact Donna Fishman, director of the NCCVEH, at [email protected].
About the National Center for Children's Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness
Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness is the nation's leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight. Focused on promoting a continuum of vision care, Prevent Blindness touches the lives of millions of people each year through public and professional education, advocacy, certified vision screening and training, community and patient service programs and research. In 2009, Prevent Blindness established the National Center for Children's Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness (NCCVEH), with support from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration's Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Serving as a national resource for the establishment of a public health infrastructure, the NCCVEH advances and promotes children's vision and eye health, providing leadership and training to public entities throughout the United States. The NCCVEH is advised by a committee of national experts and leaders from the fields of ophthalmology, optometry, pediatrics, nursing, family advocates and public health to guide the work and recommendations of the NCCVEH. For more information, or to make a contribution to the sight-saving mission, call (800) 331-2020 or visit us at https://NationalCenter.PreventBlindness.org.
Media Contact
Sarah Hecker, Prevent Blindness, 312.363.6035, [email protected], PreventBlindness.org
SOURCE Prevent Blindness
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