There are many reasons a student might act up in class.

One of them is poor eyesight, which also can make them struggle academically.

There is a free program, Vision To Learn, that’s reaching out to children to help them see what they are missing.

A Vision To Learn van was recently parked outside the White Marsh branch of the Baltimore County Public Library.

In the back of the van, Optometrist Arianna Jordan was checking 10-year-old Chloe Bryson’s left eye, which has poor vision.

“I know this eye is harder and so I am going to make them (the letters on the screen) bigger,” Jordan told her.

But Chloe still couldn’t see them.

“Too hard,” she told Jordan.

Chloe and her mother Dynasty Brown said she has learned to cope with that.

“I learned how to cancel out this eye,” Chloe said.

Brown added, “She pretty much shuts off her left eye in order to see out of her right.”

But when a child has to struggle to see, even if they figure out some workarounds, they are more likely to do poorly in the classroom.

Arianna Jordan said those students are often considered troublemakers.

“Which is mislabeling them because they just can’t see so they’re sitting in class all day, bored to death, starting stuff up with their classmates just to entertain themselves because they can’t follow along with the class,” Jordan said.

An eye screening also can pick up something serious. Jordan said earlier this year she spotted a tumor causing increased pressure on a child’s brain. The boy is a special needs student and has trouble communicating.

Jordan said, “We got in touch with the parent, got the child to the ER the same day, they confirmed there was a tumor in the brain. And he was able to get that removed within 48 hours.”

Jordan called it a miracle that she saw the boy that day. She said she checked in a few months later and he is doing fine.

The Vision To Learn van has been making stops this summer at libraries across Baltimore County. It offers free appointments for children. In 15 minutes they are examined and pick out frames, which are also free, eliminating the barrier of cost for good vision.

About two-thirds of the children in county schools qualify for free or reduced meals. According to the United States Census Bureau, 16% of the county’s children live below the poverty line.

Sonia Alcántara-Antoine, the C.E.O of the Baltimore County Public Library said, “We’re the thing that often levels the playing field, that gives people access to whatever it is that they need to get ahead in life and our partnership with Vision To Learn is just one example of that.”

The Baltimore County Public Schools screens around 30,000 students a year for vision. Deborah Somerville, the director of health services for the county schools, said students without insurance who fail the screening are guided to programs like Vision To Learn. Somerville said it’s one of the first things they look for when a child is not doing well academically.

“Let’s take away those very quickly fixable things that interfere with learning,” Somerville said.

A 2021 Johns Hopkins University study found that students who got glasses did better on reading and math tests.

Income isn’t the only barrier to getting glasses. Parents can bring their children to Vision To Learn for other reasons. Maybe it’s easier on their schedule or they are having a hard time finding a doctor.

Lixia Weng brought her 15-year-old daughter for an eye exam after seeing a sign about the program at the library.

“Our family always comes to the library,” Weng said. “And my children, they love to read books.”

Since 2018, Vision to Learn has provided around 680 pairs of glasses in Baltimore County. It’s handed out more than 400,00 pairs of glasses in 17 states and the District of Columbia.

It gets financial support from various foundations and endowments, as well as businesses and state governments.

“I myself had a vision issue and have family members that are blind,” said Jennifer Dubreuil, the program manager for Vision To Learn Maryland. “Once my vision issues came about and I lost vision in one of my eyes. It became a passion project for me to make sure that everyone has the ability to have the sight that they need and deserve.”

You can sign up for a Vision To Learn appointment on the Baltimore County Public Library website.