2014 Consortium for Optometry Summer Enrichment Programs

Prospective students may apply to and attend multiple summer programs; we do not restrict or cap an individual’s participation between or among any of the programs described below: Illinois College of Optometry, Focus on Your Future July 14-18, 2014 The Illinois College of Optometry is pleased to announce our annual summer program for underrepresented minority undergraduate students. The program is a weeklong experience that will expose undergraduate students to the profession of optometry in a variety of settings. Participants will have the opportunity to meet and work with current optometry students, ICO Faculty & Staff, as well as practicing optometrists. Students will be housed at no charge in our Residential Complex. There is no cost to participate in this program. Participants are responsible for their travel expenses and/or transportation cost to and from ICO. For more information, please visit: http://www.ico.edu/events-for-prospective-students/summer-program Program Contact: Teisha Johnson, 312.949.7407, tjohnson@ICO.EDUtjohnson@ICO.EDU> The Ohio State University, I-DOC June 16-18, 2014 Improving Diversity in Optometric Careers (I-DOC) is an intensive three-day program for people from an underrepresented ethnicity (American Indian or Alaskan Native; Asian or Pacific Islander; African-American, or Latino) who are interested in finding out more about an optometric career. The program provides information about optometry through hands-on experiences, and it aims to increase the number of underrepresented ethnic minority optometrists. Thanks to underwriting by the Vision Service Plan (VSP), there is no cost to attend the program and includes all meals and activities. There are also a limited number of scholarships for airfare reimbursement (up to $500) and accommodations for out-of-state college applicants. Applications for this year’s program are due by April 1, 2014. For more information about the program and the application process, please visit our I-DOC webpage: http://optometry.osu.edu/IDOC Program Contact: Justin Griest, 614.292.8825, griest.6@osu.edugriest.6@osu.edu> University of California, Berkeley, Opto-Camp Session I, June 18-20, 2014 Session II, July 16-18, 2014 The goal of Berkeley Optometry’s Opto-Camp is to introduce underrepresented pre-health science majors to Optometry as a potential future career track and to prepare them to be successful applicants to optometry school. The objective of Berkeley Optometry’s Opto-Camp is to present a three-day in residence experience that will provide participants with opportunities to learn about the profession of optometry and the process of becoming an optometrist. Program specifics and the application, available mid-February, 2014, are linked here: http://optometry.berkeley.edu/opt_txtpp/admissions/admitoptocamp.html Cost: $125 program fee; limited amount of scholarships to waive program fee per session, as demonstrated by financial need. Program Contact: Heather Iwata, 510.642.9537, hiwata@berkeley.eduhiwata@berkeley.edu> *********************** A special thanks to the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) for providing seed funding for all of our programs and continued support as funding is available and requested. The Optometric Education Diversity Mini-Grants program assists optometry schools in developing and implementing activities/programs that are designed to recruit and/or retain underrepresented minority students, financially disadvantaged, and/or first-generation college students pursuing the optometric profession.