Super Specs

Upper Valley Career Center is participating in the Superspecs program this year. That means we applied for—and received— over 1,000 pairs of safety glasses for our students at no cost to us.

Superspecs is an organization dedicated to protecting kids’ eyes and reducing the incidence of eye injury in Ohio to zero. It’s funded by a generous grant from the Ohio Department of Health's Save Our Sight Fund, and receives support from the Ohio Ophthalmological Society.

Superspecs provides:

  • no-cost eye safety wear for vocation programs
  • no-cost helmets and sports goggles for youth athletics leagues
  • no-cost prescription sports goggles for qualifying individuals

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 20,000 eye injuries occur in the workplace each year. These injuries range from simple eye strain to severe trauma that can cause permanent damage, vision loss, and blindness.

We don’t want this to happen to your student, and neither does their future employer. In fact, wearing protective eyewear will be a job requirement at any reputable company. Getting students used to wearing safety equipment now is just one more way we’re preparing them for the workforce.

Because we want to keep your kids’ eyes safe, we’re requiring that all students wear the equipment provided in class.

Here’s how you can help:

  1. Make it clear that wearing safety equipment isn’t optional. It protects their eyes, and prepares them for their future jobs.
  2. Connect with Superspecs on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. If you wish, post a picture of your student in their gear, and tag it #whatsyoursuper
  3. If you, or someone you know, is involved in a youth soccer, baseball, softball, or basketball league, you could qualify to get safety equipment at no cost for your entire league. Head to superspecs.org to learn more.
  4. Next time you renew your license plate, consider donating a dollar to the Ohio Save Our Sight Fund, which makes it possible to provide equipment at no-cost to vocational programs all over Ohio. 

Not only does protective gear keep kids’ eyes safe, it helps them sharpen the skills they need to excel in their field. This is because when kids are nervous about getting injured, they’re not concentrating on the skills they need to be performing. Wearing protective gear gives them a sense of safety. When they’re not worried about getting hurt, they can focus on learning.

Thank you for helping keep your student safe and confident, and thank you for everything you do to support our program.

 PS—If you know a child that might qualify to get FREE prescription goggles, head to superspecs.org/programs to see how he or she can apply.

Upper Valley Career Center