Yves Behar, Designer of the OLPC, is Making DIY Glasses for Kids, for Free

See Well to Learn Better Yves Béhar's latest non-profit program will provide 400,000 free pairs of these stylish specs to children in need. Yves Behar

All of us who needed glasses as kids know that nothing frustrates learning more than being unable to read the blackboard. California-based designer Yves Béhar, of One Laptop Per Child fame, has partnered with the Mexican government to create a program that will supply 400,000 free pairs of glasses a year to children in need.

The program, called See Well to Learn Better, follows Béhar's philosophy that "design should continue to make a difference beyond the commercial world."

Béhar's eyeglasses are lightweight, durable, and fashion-forward. The frames are manufactured from advanced plastic and sonically welded to the nose bridge. This technique is more economical than the typical method of lens insertion, which involves a costly heating process.

Moreover, the frames are initially assembled in two halves (top and bottom), thus allowing children to choose a color combination and shape prior to their delivery. Participating optometrists will travel to the schools, test the students' vision, and process the orders. In just two weeks, the children will receive their customized eyeglasses.

Augen and Béhar are currently working expand See Well to Learn Better beyond Mexico. I want a pair!

[The Guardian]