Governor Mike DeWine honored with children's vision award

CHICAGO, Sept. 3, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio has been honored with the 12th annual Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children's Vision Award, presented by the National Center for Children's Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness. The award, which recognizes significant efforts to improve public health approaches for children's vision and eye health, was presented to Governor DeWine for his leadership in the creation of the Ohio Student Eye Exam (OhioSEE) program.

The award ceremony, scheduled for September 11, 2026, at 9 a.m. CT/10 a.m. ET, will be held virtually. The OhioSEE program, launched in 2024, aims to provide comprehensive eye care for children across the state. In its inaugural year, the program successfully conducted comprehensive eye exams for 1,900 children and provided free eyeglasses to 1,200 of them.

Governor DeWine's efforts were pivotal in forming the Children's Vision Strike Force, which ensured that students who did not pass certified vision screenings received follow-up eye exams and necessary glasses. The program now supports mobile vision vans and temporary clinics, offering comprehensive eye exams directly to schools in 15 counties, including Allen, Butler, Clark, Clermont, Cuyahoga, Erie, Franklin, Guernsey, Huron, Jackson, Lorain, Mahoning, Marion, Montgomery, and Ross. Additionally, the state has allocated $25 million from the Rural Health Transformation Fund to expand the OhioSEE program statewide and provide more pathways for delivering eye exams to children in need.

"Only one in four kids actually receives the comprehensive eye exams and follow-up vision care they need," Governor DeWine stated. "OhioSEE brings vision care directly to the child in their school, ensuring no child is missed. It's such a wonderful thing to see these kids put on their new glasses for the first time."

Amy Pulles, President and CEO of Prevent Blindness Ohio, praised Governor DeWine's leadership, saying, "His efforts have demonstrated the great progress in children's vision health that can be achieved when the state's chief executive prioritizes vision care."

Donna Fishman, Executive Director of the National Center for Children's Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness, added, "Governor Mike DeWine's leadership and the OhioSEE program demonstrate the tremendous impact that state and local leaders can have when they share a commitment to making the future bright for our children through healthy vision."

Past recipients of the Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children's Vision Award include organizations and individuals such as Eye Thrive, the Alcon Children's Vision Center, Danielle Crull, and Donny W. Suh, MD. The award ceremony details can be found on the National Center for Children's Vision and Eye Health's website.

The award highlights Governor DeWine's commitment to ensuring that Ohio's children receive the vision care they need to succeed in the classroom.