The Myopia Collective Names Inaugural Change Agents
The American Optometric Association (AOA) and CooperVision announced the inaugural cohort of Change Agents for The Myopia Collective. This partnership aims to rally the optometry profession and its allies to shift the focus on myopia from mere correction to comprehensive treatment. More than 60 eyecare professionals (ECPs) were appointed as Change Agents, with individuals from each U.S. state ensuring nationwide representation. A comprehensive list is available on The Myopia Collective’s website.
In September, Change Agents will participate in a multi-day workshop in Chicago that will cover proven techniques for growing a myopia management practice, strategies for state and federal outreach, and updates on the current landscape of children’s vision. Change Agents will also share how to engage other healthcare professionals, legislators, and community members that look after children.
Myopia Profile Reaches Milestone with Multi-Language Educational Resources
Myopia Profile announced that it has reached a significant milestone in its online clinical resources webpage. Educational guides, including the Managing Myopia Guidelines Infographic and the Managing Myopia Patient Brochure, are now available in 20 languages, with several recent additions including Czech, Dutch, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Swedish, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese. These free-to-download resources support clinical communication and patient management through engaging infographics that help simplify myopia management in practice.
ABB Optical Group Kicks Off the 10th Annual Optometry Student Challenge
ABB Optical Group announced that the company’s 10th Annual Optometry Student Challenge is now open for registration. Third- and fourth-year optometry students can submit an abstract on a student-based case report or research study project and compete for a chance to win a $1,500 travel grant to attend the 2025 Global Specialty Lens Symposium.
Optometry students must register to participate in the challenge by Saturday, Aug. 31, at abboptical.com/OptometryStudentChallenge and will have until Monday, Oct. 14, to submit their abstract on a topic restricted to contact lenses and may include applications for presbyopia, keratoconus, corneal topography, post-penetrating keratoplasty or related irregular corneal surface, myopia control, lens care/solutions, custom soft lenses, ortho-k instrumentation for measurement of the ocular surface, and sports/performance vision. Based on the judges’ decision, six abstracts will be selected, and all finalists will be notified by Wednesday, Oct. 23.
The finalists will be asked to convert each of their submissions into a poster format and present them during a live virtual meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 11. All attendees who join the event will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite posters and the scores will be incorporated in the overall judging of the winners.
Valley Contax Announces 2024 AAO Meeting Student Travel Grant
Valley Contax Inc., in partnership with Contamac US, launched the Academy 2024 Travel Grant Award to attend the American Academy of Optometry conference in Indianapolis. One outstanding student from the graduating classes of 2025 or 2026 will be selected. The applicants must submit a 100-word essay highlighting the teacher who impacted them most significantly and why.
The deadline to submit is Monday, Aug. 5. The Valley Contax social media team will announce a winner for this award on Monday, Aug. 19. The submission form is available atfs10.formsite.com/MqlEMM/studentgrants/index.html.