At the Theodore R. and Thelma A. Gibson Charter School, Assistant Principal Jamaal Fairley is a dedicated educator with more than 20 years of experience who understands that quality vision care is essential for his students’ success.
“Kids deserve a chance for education, and if they can’t see, it is going to be hard for them to succeed,” Fairley said.
Fairley is one of the many principals and educators throughout the world who understands the need for the Sight For Kids program, the world’s largest known school-based health program, co-founded in 2002 by Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) and Johnson & Johnson Vision. The program provides communities with the tools critical to provide all children with equal access to quality eye health care.
In low-income schools and underserved communities across the globe, Lion volunteers and eye care professionals mobilize to provide comprehensive eye health services—from screening children to providing eyeglasses and special treatments. More than 42 million children around the world have been helped through the program over the last 20 years.
Fairley’s school, the Gibson Charter School, is a tuition-free public charter school for kindergarten to sixth grade students located in the Overtown neighborhood, a greatly underserved community in Miami, Florida, USA. The school adopted the program in the 2021-2022 school year.
“The Sight For Kids program is an opportunity to give kids a level playing field,” Fairley said. “It is essential for kids to be able to read, see and participate the same way that all other students without vision impairments can.”
The school is already seeing results from Fairley’s dedication as an educator and decision to welcome the Sight For Kids program to the school. The school’s overall grade increased from an F-rating school to a C-rating this academic year. Ratings from the Florida Department of Education are based on standardized test scores, graduation rates and industry certifications earned.
Fairley recounted the impact a pair of glasses had on a third-grade student named Katelyn. Before she received her glasses, she was mostly withdrawn with low confidence in herself and her academic ability. She would act out in class and not pay attention. Now, her grades and attendance have improved drastically, and she’s stopped acting out in class, he said.
“Even if only one student at the school receives glasses, it is a benefit for the entire classroom,” he said.
Next year, the Gibson Charter School will move to a brand-new facility sponsored by former professional basketball player, Alonzo Mourning, and Fairley hopes the school’s overall grade will continue to improve.
“As an educator, if you really do a good job, the school will get recognition on its own. As an administrator, you are not in it for the recognition but for what can be done to make kids succeed,” he said. “You put students first in every decision that you make.”
For Fairley, it was an easy decision to include the Sight For Kids program at the Gibson Charter School.
“The mobile unit through the Sight For Kids program brings vision screenings and glasses directly to our students,” he said. “We find that having all those comprehensive services right at the fingertips is very important for the kids. And it works wonders because it solves a need in such a fast time.”
Local Lions and ophthalmologists help administer the screenings, which also brings the local community together to support students in our community, he said.
“Local Lions and ophthalmologists are creating a wonderful, loving environment, and serving as role models for our students,” he said.
The “Meet the Vision Champions” series is an ongoing series highlighting champions of the Sight For Kids program and celebrating the 20 years of the Sight For Kids program helping the world see clearly.
Elizabeth Edwards is a content specialist at Lions Clubs International Foundation.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted communities around the world in different ways. To ensure we’re serving safely wherever we live, Lions should follow the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization or local health authorities. Visit our Serving Safely page for resources that can help you safely serve your community.
