The 2027 Opportunity Menu
We value flexibility in our partnerships. If your organization hosts a specialized engagement event—such as Brunch with ODs or the First Year Guides program—these may be credited as a Signature Event within your selected sponsorship tier.
SIGNATURE EVENTS
Final Year Sendoff (April): A celebratory event honoring ~130 graduating students as they transition into practice. (Includes table/networking).
White Coat Ceremony (August): A symbolic milestone marking the entry into clinical education. (High-visibility branding).
First-Year Orientation (September): An immersive introduction for ~130 new students. (Includes a ten-minute speaking opportunity).
Welcome Back BBQ (September): A community celebration fostering connections among students, faculty, and staff. (Includes table/giveaway option).
Canadian Thanksgiving (October): A tradition bringing together NECO’s Canadian students for a shared meal. (Includes table/giveaway option).
Industry Collaborative (November): A high-impact forum convening leaders from education and industry to co-create the future of optometry (exhibit hall opportunity, potential opportunity for speaking in a panel if it aligns with programming).
Reunion (November): An opportunity to welcome ~100 alumni back to NECO at our annual reunion event with a dedicated sponsor table and logo and recognition on all event materials.
Graduate Strong Career Fair (January): Direct engagement with the student body via a dedicated sponsor table.
RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT
Residency Graduation Conference (June): Residents present clinical findings (including a speaking opportunity).
Summer Residency Conference (July): Orientation and CE sessions for the new resident cohort (includes a speaking opportunity).
Fall Residency Education Event (October or November): A full day of supplemental learning focused on core clinical topics (includes a speaking opportunity).
Spring Residency Education Event (February or March): A full day of supplemental learning focused on core clinical topics (includes a virtual speaking opportunity).
FACULTY ENGAGEMENT
Faculty Retreat (Spring or Summer)
NECO PARTNER SUPPORT
Food Pantry Fund: An ongoing initiative dedicated to ensuring no student has to choose between their education and their next meal. This is a direct, high-visibility way to show your commitment to student health, dignity, and academic success.
Staff Retreat: Supporting the professional community that guides our students daily.
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
We recognize that many of you like to partner with our student organizations to support their programming or to host Lunch & Learns, which may be in addition to these support packages. While we want to encourage these opportunities for our students, our student services and development teams must coordinate all logistics and payments.
Due to ongoing construction in 2027, we cannot offer Lunch & Learns at our Commonwealth Clinic. We can only host them at Beacon Street and can help partner you with a faculty member to facilitate the event.
Student Education Event: An event open to all students or a particular class year, focusing on an educational topic. Limited to 1-2 hours. Participation in events like Dry Eye Industry Day would be considered a Student Education Event.
Partnered Student Organization Event: An event for club members with a particular focus. Must be organized through the CAPA office. All funding goes through CAPA and will not go directly to the club.
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
Asian Optometry Student Organization (AOSO): Promotes the awareness and acceptance of Asian culture and diversity to improve patient care and connect with NECO alumni working in Asia.
Beta Sigma Kappa (BSK): An international optometric honor fraternity dedicated to scientific and clinical excellence and high moral standards in the optometric profession.
Canadian Association of Optometry Students (CAOS): Canadian OD students.
Optometric Vision Development and Rehabilitation Association: Through presentations and speakers, educate and advocate for comprehensive vision care with an emphasis on developmental and behavioral approaches.
Contact Lens Society (CLS): Contact Lens Society (CLS) at NECO is an interest based club for those who want to learn about the various soft and specialty contact lens options available to fit patients in as well as to learn about different contact lens wear complications and anterior segment disease.
Latinos En Optometry (LEO): Helping future eye doctors navigate language barriers, LEO focuses on teaching optometry students how to conduct comprehensive eye exams in Spanish to improve the quality of care and clinical outcomes for Spanish-speaking patients.
Lions Club: Supports the local community by providing eye and general health screenings, book-binding services to the National Braille Press, bilingual presentations to senior centers, and glasses to VOSH and local homeless shelters.
National Optometric Student Association: Works to improve the delivery of vision care to underserved communities through consumer education, legislative advocacy, and minority recruitment and retention.
Ocular Disease Club: Provides students with an interest in ocular diseases an opportunity to engage more deeply in the field and cultivate a better understanding and knowledge of the scope optometrists have in treating ocular disease.
Performance Vision Club (PVC): Committed to improving patients’ visual function, informing the public of preventative eye safety measures, and promoting professional standards among members and the general public.
PRISM: NECO’s LGBTQIA+ and ally organization to create inclusivity and diversity within NECO and the greater optometric community through educational, social, and advocacy events.
Private Practice Club (PPC): Students interested in private practice and learning about business management.
Sigma Upsilon Sigma: Provides a platform for the voices of women in the field of optometry.
Student Alliance for the Advancement of Diversity & Inclusion (SAADI): Educates the NECO community about social issues affecting BIPOC students, exploring implications for optometry at the clinical, administrative, and educational level.
Student Council: Serves as a liaison to NECO faculty, staff, and administration, and organizes activities like the Welcome Back Barbecue and annual Eye Ball formal dance.
Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (VOSH): Delivers eye care to those who lack access, locally and abroad.
