For millions of students and parents across the country, this year’s ‘Back to School Week’ was an introductory advent to a new era of learning. The classrooms, cafeterias, and playgrounds have been replaced by the familiar, cozy surroundings of our homes. The lessons, syllabi, and tests are the same, but the familiar faculty faces are now instructing the curriculums via computer screens. While we’re still adjusting to the ‘new normal’ of education, one tradition remains the same: Acknowledging and celebrating all components and participants of our nation’s schools with American Education Week.
This year marks the 99th anniversary of the first observance for American Education Week. Its intention was to initiate, “An educational week ... observed in all communities annually for the purpose of informing the public of the accomplishments and needs of the public schools and to secure the cooperation and support of the public in meeting those needs.” And as we approach the centennial celebration of this time-honored commemoration, it’s important that we recognize all the ways we can reward the resilience of our country’s students for their flexibility and motivation to maintain their thirst for learning, despite the temporary revisions in education protocol.
There are nearly 3.5 million active public school teachers in the United States, all of whom work hard to ensure the luminous paths of the more than 56 million students currently enrolled across the country. As many of these young adults and children log in to their computers for another day of scholastic productivity, the new technological mediums in which we educate our nation’s future unfortunately leaves students vulnerable to potential visual hindering produced by the visible light spectrum known as ‘blue light’.
When we stare into blue light-emitting devices such as computer or phone screens, the exposure to these high-energy, short-wavelength light spectrums are known to provoke a variety of possible symptoms of visual impairment, such as eyestrain, headaches, fatigue, sleep deprivation, and retina damage. In fact, Harvard researchers have asserted that an overabundance of blue light exposure can suppress the secretion of melatonin, which is the hormone that regulates our sleep-wake cycle.
Every parent understands the importance of a healthy, consistent sleep schedule for the students in their households. So for this American Education Week, why not gift the young scholars in your life with the sophisticated and innovative blue light filtering technology of SCOJO New York’s BluLite eyewear collection. These fashionable glasses drastically reduce the percentage of blue light emissions whenever the wearer is using computer or phone screens, and are available in a wide variety of modern, elegant designs to complement your style.
When we’ll look back on 2020, we’ll marvel at all the hurdles and obstacles we overcame as a nation. But as for the present, the persistence of balancing educational progress with safety continues. This American Education Week, take some time to not only reflect upon the teachers in your life who challenged and inspired you, but to show the students they educate and motivate some appreciation as well.
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