The UPMC Community Ophthalmology and Remote Access Programs (CORAP) team facilitated a large-scale glasses drive at Washington High School (WHS) on Wednesday, September 3, 2025. Supported by volunteers from UPMC Optometry, CORAP provided updated prescriptions to 122 underserved students in grades 10-12 and ordered 102 pairs of glasses for them via Changing Lives Through Lenses. Ten students flagged as needing comprehensive exams will receive them at a follow-up clinic at the Vision Services of Washington-Greene Counties location later in the month. The majority of students flagged for follow-up exhibited signs of amblyopia.
In 2025, CORAP and Changing Lives Through Lenses dispensed 117 total pairs of glasses to WHS students in need via mobile vision clinics in May and September. The school nurse at Washington High School, Ashley Brand, has identified at least 200 additional students in grades 7-12 who failed their initial vision screening and may need a pair of glasses. CORAP will work with WHS to facilitate biannual glasses drives in their auxiliary gymnasium for 2026, guaranteeing students can clearly see their bright futures.