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Glasses for Poor Children in Delaware

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WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - School children in some of Delaware's poorest communities are about to get a clearer vision of their future.

Gov. Jack Markell and U.S. Sen. Chris Coons are joining other officials to celebrate the launch of Vision to Learn, a program that provides free eye exams and eyeglasses to students who live in poverty-stricken areas.

Officials say Vision to Learn already has helped more than 25,000 children in California, and that some 6,000 Delaware students could benefit from the program.

Delaware's participation in the program was to begin Thursday with the distribution of free eyeglasses to 35 students at Evan G. Shortlidge Academy in Wilmington.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.