NEW YORK—Warby Parker Inc. (NYSE: WRBY), a direct-to-consumer lifestyle brand focused on vision for all, has announced the expansion of its Pupils Project program to Texas and Nevada. Through this program, Warby Parker said it partners with government agencies and local organizations to provide free vision screenings, eye exams and glasses to schoolchildren across the country. Pupils Project was developed to eliminate barriers to access, the company said, by providing free prescription glasses and meeting children at school, where teachers are often the first to spot vision issues. The program has distributed more than 270,000 pairs to children in need since it was founded, according to the announcement.

With the expansion to Austin, Texas and Las Vegas, the program now operates in 42 cities across nine states throughout the country. The brand is partnering with local nonprofits in each city that have both been in the local community for over a decade—half Helen in Austin and EyeCare4Kids in Las Vegas. This coming school year, Warby Parker said it anticipates providing approximately 1,800 glasses to students throughout the Austin area (15 school districts/charter schools in the region) through its partnership with half Helen. Through its partnership with EyeCare4Kids, Warby Parker expects to provide about 8,000 to 11,000 glasses annually in the Clark County School District, Las Vegas.

“We created the Pupils Project in 2010 with the goal of eliminating barriers to vision care access in schools across the country, while also helping students feel excited by and confident in their glasses," said Hannah Reeve Kowalski, director of social innovation at Warby Parker. "Since then, we've expanded the program to 42 cities and have distributed over 270,000 pairs of glasses to school children nationwide. We’re thrilled to now be partnering with organizations in Austin and Las Vegas to bring the program to local schools and support their long-standing work in the community.” 

For Pupils Project, Warby Parker’s design and product strategy teams compile an assortment that fits the students’ preferences for fun styles, colors and shapes, the company said, while also offering enough options to serve students from pre-K thru 12th grade. For the 2024-25 school year, Warby Parker noted it has more than 115 SKUs in its assortment—the most ever and double the amount of options they offered just a few years ago.