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School Kids Will Have Better Vision in Warby Parker Deal With City

By  Trevor Kapp and Jeff Mays | June 24, 2015 3:01pm 

 The city has a 20-20 vision to help its ocularly-challenged school kids. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday that the city will partner with eyeglasses giant Warby Parker to provide spectacles to more than 20,000 students in need.
The city has a 20-20 vision to help its ocularly-challenged school kids. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday that the city will partner with eyeglasses giant Warby Parker to provide spectacles to more than 20,000 students in need.
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DNAinfo/Jeff Mays

HARLEM — The city has a 20-20 vision to help its school kids.

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday that the city will partner with eyeglasses giant Warby Parker to provide spectacles to more than 20,000 students in need.

“For thousands of children who are ready to learn, but whose vision may be holding them back, the future just got clearer and brighter,” de Blasio said. “We are deeply appreciative of Warby Parker’s donation of new eyeglasses to thousands of students at Community and Renewal Schools.”

The city will also spend $10 million to provide free eye tests for 65,000 students in 130 elementary, middle and high schools, officials said.

The deal is part of New York City’s Community Schools initiative, which tries to help students overcome learning obstacles like vision impairments.

Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña said the new partnership will be instrumental in helping kids succeed.

“We know that in order for students to learn, they need to be in school, and they also need to be able see the front of the classroom or read the book at their desk,” she said.

More importantly, "They're cool," added the chancellor.

Warby Parker co-Founder Neil Blumenthal said the company was happy to offer a helping hand to vision-challenged city kids.

“Our goal is to provide these students with their first pair of glasses for free so they can experience the immediate and direct positive impact that a pair of glasses can have on their life, especially academics,”  Blumenthal said.

The glasses will be made with the same materials and from the same suppliers Warby Parker uses for the glasses it sells to consumers.

"This is about dignity," said Warby Parker's other co-Founder Dave Gilboa. "Glasses can be an important part of one's identity."