In December 2015, Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust appointed Karen Woodhouse as director of a new statewide initiative focused on improving Arizona’s system for identifying and treating vision problems in children that can affect their healthy development and learning.

Over the next decade, until her retirement earlier this year, Karen led the collaborative efforts of Eyes On Learning to expand access to vision screenings for all children and follow-up eye exams and treatment for those who need it, driving progress that has made Arizona a national leader in children’s vision health.

Capping off a career that included leadership roles at the Arizona Department of Education and First Things First, Karen recently received the 2025 Senator Andy Nichols Award from the Arizona Public Health Association. The prestigious award honors those who have made outstanding contributions to public health throughout their professional life.

“For almost 40 years, my career has been committed to implementing policy and programming to strengthen the connection between a child’s health and their early development and learning,” Karen remarked at the AZPHA gala. “It’s very humbling to receive this award.”

Priorities and Progress

Eyes On Learning was the brainchild of former Piper Trust CEO Dr. Susan Pepin. Having worked as a clinician and surgeon in the fields of neuro-ophthalmology and pediatric ophthalmology, she saw that a children’s vision health initiative would be a strong complement to Read On Arizona, a statewide collaboration focused on improving early literacy launched in 2013 by Piper Trust and other key partners.

When Karen Woodhouse was named to lead the new initiative, Arizona was one of only eight states that did not require vision screenings in public schools. Her first priority was to bring partners together to identify goals and strategies to focus their collective efforts and maximize impact.

Ten years later, Arizona has made significant progress in improving access to vision screening for children, thanks in large part to the contributions of partners in Eyes On Learning and Karen’s guidance and persistence.

Eyes On Learning developed recommendations that contributed to the passage of Arizona’s landmark vision screening law in 2019 that requires all Arizona public and charter schools to conduct regular vision screenings for children. Partners also brought philanthropic investments and federal funding to implement the new policy, which began in the 2024-25 school year. As a result, approximately 500,000 students are now screened for potential vision problems every year.

More examples of the progress made over the last decade are highlighted on the new Eyes On Learning website.

At a luncheon held in honor of her retirement, Karen reflected on the accomplishments of Eyes On Learning’s collective impact model for public health.

“I’m really proud that we stayed true to our mission and our plan,” she said. “So many partners contributed funding and policy work, programming and service delivery, and their shared wisdom and expertise. I’m so grateful.”

Partners expressed their thanks and admiration for Karen’s leadership.

“Vitalyst Health Foundation is forever grateful to Karen for championing the efforts of Eyes On Learning and elevating Arizona to become a national model in children’s vision health,” said Roy Pringle, chief operating officer for Vitalyst Health Foundation.

Looking Ahead

As Karen looks forward to retirement, she does so “knowing that Eyes On Learning has exceptional new leadership and the continued support of the Trust and partners. I’m so excited about what’s to come.”

Laura Smith was appointed the new director of Eyes On Learning this past summer.

“There is still work to be done to fully realize the vision of Eyes On Learning,” said Steve Zabilski, president and CEO of Piper Trust, “that all Arizona children, wherever they live, whatever their economic status, have access to the services they need for their best vision health.”

Hundreds of thousands of Arizona children are now receiving early vision screenings, but the system can still be made more efficient and effective. And data shows that most Arizona children who fail a vision screening do not get a follow-up eye exam from an ophthalmologist or optometrist to determine if they need glasses or other treatment. Their vision problems go uncorrected, hampering their ability to see clearly, learn, and make academic progress.

“The Trust is committed to collaborating with partners and sustaining the work of Eyes On Learning,” Zabilski said.

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