ROCHESTER, N.Y., June 16, 2026—The Myopia Collective, an initiative founded by CooperVision and the American Optometric Association (AOA) to advance childhood myopia management into the standard of care, today announced the addition of 22 new Change Agents and introduced its first-ever Student Change Agent cohort. Together, these leaders and emerging advocates represent a 49 percent expansion of the network, strengthening efforts to drive education, engagement, and adoption across the eye care community.
The new Change Agents and Student Change Agents can be found on AOA.org.
“We received an overwhelming level of interest from doctors and students eager to participate this year, and we are grateful to all who applied,” said Jacquie M. Bowen, O.D., President, American Optometric Association. “As we continue to grow this movement, we encourage everyone to become a Member of The Myopia Collective. Members receive updates and gain access to free educational opportunities, information, and resources to help the fight against childhood myopia.”
Change Agents will participate in a dedicated training workshop this November in Houston, TX, where they will gain new, practical insights to strengthen myopia management adoption in their practices while collaborating with peers to advance children’s eye health.
As part of its continued expansion, The Myopia Collective will also host its first-ever Day of Advocacy on June 18, 2026. This global, social media–driven initiative is designed to elevate awareness of childhood myopia and the importance of early intervention. Bringing together Change Agents, Student Change Agents, partners, and advocates, the Day of Advocacy will encourage participants to share personal stories, clinical insights, and educational perspectives using the hashtag #MyopiaAdvocacy2026, creating a unified, worldwide conversation focused on protecting children’s long-term vision.
“The Day of Advocacy is a powerful opportunity to elevate and unite voices across the optometric community and beyond,” said Jennifer Palombi, OD, FAAO, Director, Professional Affairs, Americas, CooperVision. “By sharing personal experiences, clinical insights, and their passion for patient care, our community will ignite meaningful dialogue around myopia and inspire a greater understanding of its long-term impact. Together, we will reinforce the importance of early intervention and help build a future where protecting children’s vision is a shared priority across the profession and communities we serve.”
For additional details about The Myopia Collective, information on becoming a member, and to see a full list of Change Agents and Student Change Agents, visit AOA.org.
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About The American Optometric Association
The American Optometric Association (AOA) represents more than 50,000 doctors of optometry, students and professionals who provide the majority of eye health and vision care in over 10,000 U.S. communities. As the leading
voice for quality eye care, the AOA advances the profession through cutting-edge education [aoa.org], practice-changing resources [aoa.org], singular advocacy [aoa.org], and public education about the profession [aoa.org], ensuring patients nationwide have trusted access to essential, in-person eye health and vision care with member doctors of optometry.
About CooperVision
CooperVision, a division of CooperCompanies (Nasdaq:COO), is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of contact lenses. The company produces a full array of daily disposable, two-week and monthly soft contact lenses that feature advanced materials and optics, and premium rigid gas permeable lenses for orthokeratology and scleral designs. CooperVision has a strong heritage of addressing the toughest vision challenges such as astigmatism, presbyopia, childhood myopia, and highly irregular corneas; and offers the most complete portfolio of spherical, toric, and multifocal products available. Through a combination of innovative products and focused practitioner support, the company brings a refreshing perspective to the marketplace, creating real advantages for customers and wearers. For more information, visit www.coopervision.com.
About CooperCompanies
CooperCompanies (Nasdaq: COO) is a leading global medical device company focused on helping people experience life’s beautiful moments through its two business units, CooperVision and CooperSurgical. CooperVision is a trusted leader in the contact lens industry, helping to improve the way people see each day. CooperSurgical is a leading fertility and women’s healthcare company dedicated to putting time on the side of women, babies, and families at the healthcare moments that matter most. Headquartered in San Ramon, Calif., CooperCompanies has a workforce of more than 15,000, sells products in over 130 countries, and positively impacts over fifty million lives each year. For more information, please visit www.coopercos.com.
Media Contact
Laura DiCaprio, APR
McDougall Communications for CooperVision
Laura@mcdougallpr.com or +1-585-434-2153