Bright July – a national online campaign – has been launched to encourage Australian families to get outside for their eye health over winter.
Organiser John Nguyen, from Zoom Optics, said the campaign is in the same spirit as monthly events like Movember and Dry July, and not aligned to any one optometry group.
He said Bright July is intended as a “fun national campaign encouraging Australian families to get children outdoors, with prizes for those who take part”.
“It runs through July because childhood myopia progresses fastest over winter. Outdoor time benefits whole health, with our focus on myopia.”
He said families can register online and pledge an outdoor target for a week in July. The site encourages posting of a 25-word snippet on why outdoor time matters, with the best entries winning sunglasses from EssilorLuxottica.
It runs through July because childhood myopia progresses fastest over winter
Optometrists can add a free practice listing, so families find an optometrist nearby.
“We have EssilorLuxottica and ZEISS on board as sponsors,” Mr Nguyen said, explaining that the 2026 Bright July campaign will run as a pilot, in the leadup to a more concentrated 2027 effort.
Mr Nguyen, an optometrist and father of two, said Bright July began as a small experiment in his own home.
“A month of saying ‘yes’ to the park a little more often. A month of putting shoes on instead of opening the laptop. What we found surprised us. Quieter dinners. Better sleep. And a habit – outdoor light – that quietly shapes so much of how our family feels.”
Further information is available at brightjuly.com.au or by emailing john@brightjuly.com.au.