The idea is to help children realize by themselves they are not seeing as clear as they could. To do so, we gave students a pair of glasses made of paper. Instead of graduated lenses, Paper Glasses have pinholes that use the stenopeic effect to improve visual acuity.

Paper Glasses are made of 150 gm. paper, 2mm. pinholes and a 2 mm separation to create the stenopeic effect.

The stenopeic effect is a physical optics effect that increases the depth of field. When allowing only a very narrow beam of light to enter the eye, there is no convergence, achieving clear vision at any distance.

Is the first time this effect has been used like this. Designed to engage children directly, using a simple production process and taking advantage of a distribution channel that already reaches millions of students.

We included an explanation directed to the student, such text instructs them to inform their teacher if Paper Glasses gives them better focus on objects or if it helps them read better.

On first trials, Paper Glasses identified 10% of the cases of students who need glasses without knowing it.

Due to Santillana’s wide reach, more than 3 million School Guides with Paper Glasses will be distributed all over the country, so we’re confident this initiative will have a positive impact in Mexican Education. Furthermore, once Save The Children takes the idea to countries in the same situation, Paper Glasses could give a clearer future to many children in 120 countries.

We shouldn't look for innovation at the edge of technology. Sometimes a simple idea used in a new way could solve huge problems.

This is the case of Paper Glasses, a piece of paper with a precise design that takes advantage of a misunderstood and almost forgotten optical discovery.

An estimate of 75% of school dropout cases in Mexico are related to visual impairment; but it’s a real challenge to reach all schools to apply eye examinations student by student, specially in isolated communities.