Little Eyes, Big Eyes (LEBE)

Posted on by UMN_MCHTraining

About

Minnesota is home to 11 Tribal Nations and over 68,000 Native Americans. Due to systemic barriers, these communities often face higher poverty rates and limited access to preventive healthcare.

The Little Eyes, Big Eyes (LEBE) initiative was created by VHMN to bridge these gaps. We center Native American experiences to provide culturally sensitive, equitable vision care for children, youth and families across the state.

Our Strategy & Goals

We aim to build a sustainable eye health system that impacts families across their entire lifespan. Our core objectives include:

  • Raising Awareness: Promoting the vital importance of vision health within Native communities.
  • Clinical Support: Empowering Native-serving clinics with instrument screeners, technical training, and administrative assistance.
  • System Alignment: Connecting local efforts with state and federal programs, including Head Start and the MN Department of Education.
  • Reducing Barriers: Identifying and removing the hurdles that prevent families from receiving follow-up care.

How We Work

Supported by the Seva Foundation, we collaborate with Native-led cultural consultants to ensure our strategies are grounded in community needs.

  • Phased Rollout: Beginning in the Metro region and expanding into Northern and Southern Minnesota.
  • Point of Service: We host vision health fairs that offer both screenings and comprehensive eye exams.
  • Capacity Building: We provide the tools and care-coordination training necessary for local organizations to thrive independently.

Host a Free Vision Screening

We partner with Native-serving organizations to bring vision care to the whole family. Whether it’s a stand-alone clinic or part of a larger community event, we make eye care accessible and fast. We provide:

  • Rapid Screenings: Free tests for ages 6 months+ that take under 2 minutes with immediate results.
  • Full Event Support: We can provide staffing, promotional materials and local clinic resources.
  • Capacity Building: We offer technical assistance, training and (depending on Seva funding) assistance with purchasing instrument screeners.

Help us improve vision health for children, youth and families in your community. Email us today at visionhealthmn @ gmail.com to host a screening at your next event!

Campaign Materials

This campaign was created for:

  • Native American children, youth and families of all ages in Minnesota
  • Healthcare professionals and community organizations that serve and support Minnesota Native communities

Healthcare professionals, family members and caregivers, community leaders and others can utilize the LEBE materials we’ve created:

  • Sharable Graphics: Share graphics and captions on your social network platforms or web pages.
  • Email Signatures: Download and add the LEBE graphic to your email signature.
  • Posters & Handouts: Share posters and handouts both virtually or printed.
  • Newsletter Content: Copy and paste this paragraph into your next email or newsletter.

Funding

The Little Eyes, Big Eyes project is supported by a grant received from the Seva Foundation. TheCenter for Leadership Education in Maternal and Child Public Health also provides technical assistance to Vision Health Minnesota (VHMN).

Contact

Email us Cindy at visionhealthmn @ gmail.com