Dec. 5, 2025 — Latinos en Optometry and Transitions Optical have partnered to launch Eying the Future, a free educational initiative designed to encourage middle and high school students in Latino communities to consider careers in optometry. The program addresses gaps in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education and the underrepresentation of Latino workers in health-related STEM fields.

Latinos en Optometry, a nonprofit working to gain a broader representation of Latinos within the eyecare community, shares some statistics highlighting the imbalance it aims to address:

• A 2023 survey found that 33% of students believe their schools are failing to prepare them for STEM careers.
• A S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights report revealed that schools with predominantly Black and Latino student populations offer fewer STEM-related courses than those with lower enrollments of these groups.
• Hispanic workers account for only 8% of the STEM workforce despite making up 17% of the total U.S. labor force, according to Pew Research Center.
• Zippa’s findings reveal that, in optometry, the numbers are even lower, with just 5.2% of U.S. optometrists identifying as Latino.

“Latino students are often not adequately prepared for STEM careers due to a combination of factors including limited exposure to STEM subjects in K-12 education, lack of access to quality STEM courses, fewer role models in STEM fields, socioeconomic disadvantages, and sometimes language barriers, leading to underrepresentation in STEM fields compared to their peers,” says Diana Canto-Sims, O.D., co-founder of Latinos en Optometry. “Many Hispanic children aren't even aware of the possibilities that exist within the STEM fields.”

In collaboration with Young Minds Inspired, a provider of educational outreach programs, Eying the Future will distribute educational materials to more than 10,000 teachers in U.S. regions with high Hispanic populations. These resources include activities to spark discussions about eyecare careers and bilingual materials for students to share with their families. The program also features interviews with optometrists to connect students with role models in the field.

“By creating programs that incorporate culturally relevant education along with more exposure to STEM careers, we can help educators reach Hispanic students and other underrepresented populations early on to stimulate their interest in optometry,” says Arlene Barringer, senior marketing manager at Transitions Optical.

“There is an ever-increasing need for more Latino and Spanish-speaking doctors of optometry,” says Dr. Canto-Sims. “Our goal is to build a stronger, more diverse optometry workforce to better serve the Latino population.”