Launched in 2008 by Essilor Vision Foundation, Kids Vision for Life’s mission is to eliminate poor vision and its lifelong consequences.
In 2009, Kids Vision for Life St. Louis began serving the St. Louis region with its sponsors: Crown Vision Center, Area Resources for Community and Human Services (ARCHS), the University of Missouri-St. Louis College of Optometry, and the Essilor Vision Foundation.
Kids Vision for Life is a simple, cost-effective approach to removing poor vision as a barrier to learning and focuses on elementary-aged students during critical learning/development age periods.
The Kids Vision for Life St. Louis program has experienced rapid growth, going from servicing 17 schools in the 2009-10 school year to 156 schools in the 2017-18 school year. As of 2018, nearly 25,000 students have received vision exams and over 20,000 eyeglasses have been prescribed.
Statistics from each school year can be seen below:
| School Year | Schools Visited | Students Examined | Glasses Prescribed |
| 2009-2010 | 17 | 528 | 403 |
| 2010-2011 | 29 | 800 | 528 |
| 2011-2012 | 50 | 1566 | 1162 |
| 2012-2013 | 63 | 1998 | 1466 |
| 2013-2014 | 65 | 2389 | 2017 |
| 2014-2015 | 91 | 3421 | 2743 |
| 2015-2016 | 132 | 4247 | 3737 |
| 2016-2017 | 155 | 4981 | 4300 |
| 2017-2018 | 154 | 4477 | 4064 |
| 2018-2019 | 162 | 4612 | 4296 |