Funded
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Event date Sun 16th Feb - Sat 22nd Feb 2025
- About
Join us in February for the Out of the Box Optoversity Challenge 2025!
Now in its ninth year, the Out of the Box Optoversity Challenge 2025 in aid of Vision Care for Homeless People is the only inter-University academic competition between optometry students in the UK and ROI. The competition is a light-hearted, fun event which tests the students on various aspects of optometry and challenges them to raise funds to help Vision Care for Homeless People provide their free eyecare service for people experiencing homelessness.
The format
Out of the Box Optoversity Challenge will be held on Sunday 16 Feb (online for 1st & 2nd years) and Saturday 22nd Feb (in-person for 3rd & 4th years). Students will face challenges set by Out of the Box Optics according to their year group. Prizes donated by the optical community, will be given for the winning students in each year group and the overall winning team. Prizes will be given to the highest performers and the highest fund-raisers. In previous years, students have been awarded with prizes such as an iPad, Volk lens, textbooks, vouchers, ophthalmoscope/retinoscope sets, and various optometric equipment.
Sunday 16 Feb online optical quiz for 1st and 2nd year optometry students.
The session will be hosted on Zoom from 10am-12.30 , with first and second years joining their university team. The format will be a quiz set by Out of the Box Optics, in which students compete individually, with prizes awarded for the highest scorers in each year group. This year students will also observe our OSCE format - a great learning opportunity for everyone. Each university team may have an unlimited number of students for the online competition.
Saturday 22nd Feb in-person for 3rd and 4th year optometry students.
For the in-person event, we are hosting two events simultaneously: North (Manchester) & South (Bristol). Session times in both locations: Arrivals from 10.30 for 11am start. 4pm close . Students are invited to form teams of 4 for the in-person event, with unlimited numbers of teams welcome from each university. (We'll look to accommodate teams which have less than 4 in mixed teams). Teams will face a mix of challenges set by Out of the Box Optics and our sponsors, which will test their optometry skills and knowledge. Prizes will be awarded to the highest performers and the highest scoring teams.
The Fundraising Challenge
Optoversity Challenge is a fundraiser for Vision Care for Homeless People (VCHP) so we’d love you to try your best to raise some funds in the lead up to the competition in February. All money raised will help fund Vision Care for Homeless People's specialist eye care clinics for people experiencing homelessness.
VCHP currently have 11 clinics around the UK based in homeless centres where people experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless can access free eyecare including sight tests and glasses. Many of the patients we see in our clinics haven’t had a sight test before and many are struggling with poor eyesight and other eye health conditions. Your fundraising will help our patients see a brighter future!
The fundraising challenge is optional but to inspire you all to take part we are reserving some of the BEST prizes donated by the optical community for the students who raise the most funds. Every student participating in Optoversity Challenge will automatically be given their own fundraising page when they register which they can share with their contacts and ask for donations in support of their fundraising challenge. Prizes are awarded to the top three fundraisers - plus there will be a team prize for the uni team which raises the most funds. In previous years some students have really stepped up to the challenge, raising funds through some really creative ideas - we've had students holding quizzes, auctions, clothes sales, bake sales, doing press up challenges, step challenges, 5K a day runs - to inspire their friends, lecturers and family to get behind them and donate.
To take part
Registration costs £5 /per person and closes on the 14.02.25. For further information and questions about the competition please contact Alison, VCHP Fundraiser: [email protected] or Out of the Box Optics - [email protected]
