Oct. 5, 2020 — The New England College of Optometry (NECO) has announced the Warby Parker Scholarship, a first-of-its-kind scholarship fund at NECO with a goal of increasing Black representation in optometry. 

The $440,000 gift from eyewear brand Warby Parker, which, according to NECO, is one of the largest single donations from a vision care business in recent history, will be awarded to two Black scholars, covering tuition for NECO’s four-year doctor of optometry program. 

"Warby Parker is making an investment in the future of the eyecare industry and our shared commitment to social responsibility,” says Howard Purcell, O.D., president and CEO at NECO. "The Warby Parker Scholarship is part of a broader effort at NECO to attract a more diverse study body and to develop future leaders who will impact health care outcomes and the profession."

The scholarship fund comes at a time of heightened awareness of the need for a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive industry and beyond. Dr. Purcell recently joined The Vision Council’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force. Additionally, NECO faculty member Angela Abraham, O.D., was appointed as the institution’s first-ever diversity and inclusion liaison. 

In a related announcement, NECO has signed on to the 13% Promise, a new initiative led by Black Eyecare Perspective, dedicated to increasing Black presence in vision care. EB Editor-in-Chief Erinn Morgan recently checked in with BEP founders Adam Ramsey, O.D., and Darryl Glover, O.D., to hear about the 13% Promise and BEP’s initiatives.

The fund also aligns with Warby’s Parker’s larger Racial Equity Strategy, the company’s detailed plan focusing on fostering inclusivity, equity, and diversity within and beyond the company.

“As health care professionals, we can collectively help reduce health outcome disparities, if we can empathize with patients' cultural backgrounds and beliefs,” says Pratil Lal, O.D., director of vision services at Warby Parker. “We can only achieve this by working with institutions like NECO to create a more diverse talent pool within the industry.” (For more from Dr. Lal, EB caught up with him in the September 2019 issue.)

NECO and Warby Parker have teamed up on other initiatives this year, including Warby Parker’s Pupils Project program in Boston, which aims to eliminate the barriers that students face in getting proper eye care. Warby Parker, alongside Boston Public Schools (BPS), Prevent Blindness, and 2020 On-site, worked with NECO to help BPS nurses ensure that all students participating in the pilot program received vision screenings, follow-up care, and eyewear.