Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation Among Tribal Groups Supporting Oregon Student Vision Screenings

Five Oregon tribal charitable foundations, including the Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation, are helping fund vision screenings for K-12 students across the state during the upcoming 2026-27 school year.

The Oregon Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation announced Monday that it will receive grant funding from the Wildhorse Foundation, Three Rivers Foundation, Siletz Tribal Charitable Contribution Fund, Coquille Tribal Community Fund and Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation to support its School Vision Screening Program.

The program works with schools, Lions Clubs, health professionals and community organizations to identify potential vision problems in students and connect families with follow-up resources when needed. The foundation says its program conducts hundreds of on-site screenings each year and provides referrals for low-cost vision services to children who may have vision concerns.

For families, the screening can be an important first step in identifying a problem that might otherwise go unnoticed. Students who are referred following a screening are also connected with resources for low-cost or no-cost vision exams and eyeglasses.

According to the foundation, more than 200,000 Oregon students received vision screenings through the program during the 2025-26 school year. OLSHF also reached a major milestone in 2024 when it screened its two-millionth student.

The program uses Welch Allyn Spot vision screening devices, which can identify several potential vision issues within seconds without requiring students to read a traditional eye chart. That allows screenings to include younger children, nonverbal students and students who do not speak English as their first language.

Funding from the five tribal foundations will help cover School Vision Screening Program costs in nearly 60% of Oregon counties, reaching students in urban areas as well as rural and remote communities.

The Oregon Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation said its partnerships with Oregon tribes extend back many years and that the organizations will continue working together to help students receive access to vision screenings and follow-up care.

More information about the foundation is available at olshf.org, and details about the School Vision Screening Program can be found on the foundation's School Vision Screening page.