WATERBURY, Conn. (WTNH) — Multiple organizations came together in Waterbury Monday to bring free glasses to students at Duggan Elementary School.

Waterbury Bridge to Success, Vision to Learn and Waterbury Public Schools all teamed up to provide this service for more than 170 students. The program is part of the BOOST! Community Schools initiative.

Sabrina Davis, the program manager for Vision to Learn in Connecticut, said the program has three steps. First, all students undergo a vision screening.

“We come back with a mobile clinic and perform eye exams on that mobile clinic, then the third step is what we’re here doing today, which is providing those glasses to the students who need them,” Davis said.

Vision to Learn is a non-profit that provides these free eye services nationwide. Davis said she knows from personal experience how important proper vision is for students.

“When I was in second grade, I remember I couldn’t see the TV, and my family noticed she had to go really close to the TV to see, so I remember receiving glasses then, and I’ve worn them ever since, and they really changed my life.”

According to the CDC, an estimated 1 in 4 children need eyeglasses, and the number of students that need help with their vision increases with age.

“I feel like vision is actually one of the biggest things you actually need to learn, so I think that’s big that we’re able to bring this resource into the schools and help the students out,” Terrance Fullmore with Waterbury Bridge to Success said.

Students were able to choose from over 100 different frames. They said the difference in their vision was immediate once they put the new glasses on.

“Before, it would get blurry really easily, and there would be like a lot of dust on it, but this is like really clear, and it feels more comfortable on my face,” Samara, a 6^th grader at Duggan, said.

“I sit way in the back, so I can see better with these glasses than I did before,” Jayleen, another 6^th grader, said.

The students were also instructed on how to care for their glasses properly. A Waterbury Bridge to Success representative says plans are already underway to bring this program to other schools in the community.