As part of a partnership to support the next generation of eyecare professionals, Transitions Optical and the Opticians Association of Canada (OAC) are now accepting submissions for the 2018 Students of Vision Scholarship Program. Currently enrolled (for 2018-2019 school year) opticianry, optometry and optometric assistant students from across Canada are eligible to apply for the chance to win one of three prizes of $2,500, $1,500 and $500 scholarships.

To enter the scholarship program, students must develop a project in the form of an essay, video or presentation about incorporating style into the conversation of optimal vision care, and how they will implement this into their practice as a future eyecare professional. A flyer detailing the scholarship program challenge can be found at Transitions.com/StudentsofVision. Submissions will be evaluated by a panel of judges against the following criteria: creativity, strategic thinking and ethics.

The theme of finding the style in eyewear was inspired by recent research from Transitions Optical and the Center for Generational Kinetics, which showed that many Canadian eyeglass wearers consider glasses to be part of their style, with 71% of Millennials, 63% of Boomers and 64% of Gen X feeling this way. Not only do 67% of Canadian eyeglass wearers surveyed stated that style is the #1 aspect that influences their decision when taking recommendations for their eyeglasses, but respondents also said eyecare professionals have the most influence on their eyeglass selection decisions, more so than spouses, significant others, family and friends.

“Research shows that style is a significant factor in the decision for patients when selecting their eyewear, and we encourage eyecare professionals to integrate style into the conversation along with the optimal vision care,” said Patience Cook, director, North America marketing, Transitions Optical. “We are excited to see students’ creative ideas about how to discuss style with patients while providing them the best vision care possible.”

“While the desire for stylish eyewear by patients is not new, eyecare professionals have more options than ever to ensure that their patients eyewear needs are met in all ways,” said Robert Dalton, Executive Director, Opticians Association of Canada. “We are pleased to partner with Transitions Optical again to provide resources to students to help them develop a comprehensive plan to meet patients’ eyewear needs and wants.”

All submissions should be sent to StudentsofVision@Transitions.com by November 15, 2018. The winners will be announced on November 25, 2018.