Opticians Association Of Rhode Island - OARI

03/26/2026

03/17/2026

📣 We’ve been getting a TON of questions about the apprenticeship program—and we LOVE the excitement! 🙌

Trust us, we’re just as eager as you are to get things up and running. Your board has been working hard behind the scenes to make it happen 💪

✨ Good news: we expect to have an update in the next couple of weeks after the upcoming meeting with the Department of Health—stay tuned!

📧 Haven’t reached out yet? Send us an email at opticiansri.org so we can keep you in the loop!

💡 We also need YOUR help! Consider becoming a member of OARI by joining through our website. Your support goes beyond dues—it helps us build momentum and assemble a passionate team ready to launch this apprenticeship program when we get the green light 🚦

Let’s build something great together! 👓💙

09/28/2025

Deadline to register has been extended until 10/8!!!

Don't miss out on this great event taught by all master opticians! 3 courses are also available for NCLE credits and we will have two workshop sessions, one on frame repairs and the other is an eye dissection! We would love to see you there. Pay at the door, email our general inbox to RSVP or text 401-447-7802 for questions or to reserve your spot!

09/10/2025

TIME IS RUNNING OUT! Deadline to Register for our upcoming SUPER SUNDAY CE Event is 9/30/2025!

We have 3 Master Opticians teaching 6 Credit Hours with a great mix of course content (Class Listing to Come, STAY TUNED!), not to mention breakfast and lunch included!

**Register via email at riopticians@gmail.com**

Looking forward to seeing you all there! 🤓

03/14/2025

***RSVP via DM here or riopticians@gmail.com BY APRIL 11TH!!!***

Sponsored by OARI & Ocean State Optical Lab! ABO (3) Credit Dinner at Ocean State Optical, Thursday, May 1st! !!!

TELL YOUR PEERS & COLLEAGUES! We hope to “see” you there! 🤓📚 📏

02/06/2025

OARI’s Website has been revamped!!!!

Please visit www.opticiansri.org to check out the new space dedicated to all things Opticianry in Rhode Island!

Let us know what feedback you have and be on the lookout for email communication surrounding 2025 Dues and Updates to keep the charge moving forward this year!!! 🤓

The Opticians Association of Rhode Island (OARI) is Rhode Island’s ONLY professional organization for opticians, and we have a long and rich history of serving our members. Our members include opticians that are new to the field as well as those with decades of experience and our goal is to impro....

06/29/2024

Good afternoon esteemed Licensed Opticians, Optical Professionals and peers of OARI!

I would like to send personal recognition and thanks to your Executive Committee, Eliza, Hailey and Drake, for their steadfast support and time given over the last 2 years as we’ve worked hard to help our lawmakers see the importance of Opticianry and an Apprenticeship component for prospective candidates in the State of RI.

I am happy to report that both RI House Bill 7297 and Senate Bill 2624 were both successfully signed by Governor Dan McKee on Tuesday, June 25th! We officially have language in our Opticianry Statute that allows for a secondary path to Optician Licensure via Apprenticeship in RI!!!

Our next steps are to meet with our friends at Apprenticeship RI and the Department of Labor and Training to put the pieces of the Apprenticeship together, but it is our sincere hope that Practices and Locations will be able to sign up as Sponsors, and host apprentices, in January of 2025!

Please pass this along to your colleagues and companies as this is a BIG step in the right direction for Opticianry in RI and we truly appreciate all of the collective energy and well wishes you’ve shared with us throughout!

Opticianry is ALIVE and WELL in RI and will be into the new year and beyond! THANK YOU ALL! 🤓

Best,

Anthony Rebello, President
Hailey Hicks Dubois, President-Elect
Eliza Zimmermann, Treasurer
Drake Smelser, Secretary

06/14/2024

WE DID IT!!!! Your OARI Executive Committee has pushed hard these last two years to get an Apprenticeship Pathway to Licensure in RI, and with the help of many folks, it passed in concurrence in both the House and Senate yesterday evening! Bill is being sent to Gov. McKee’s desk for signature!!!

We truly appreciate Senator Frank Lombardi from Cranston and Representative Alex Finkelman from Jamestown for sponsoring both bills, in addition to our friends at RIDLT, Building Futures RI and the RI Optometric Association for their letters of recommendation and support!

We are hopeful that 2025 will be the first year in RI with registered Apprentice Opticians! More to come so stay tuned and please continue to encourage your peers and colleagues to support OARI, as without yours, we wouldn’t have reached the finish line here!! 🤓

05/17/2024

The board would like to thank everyone that came out for a great CE event last night and give a special thanks to Essilor for sponsoring our speakers and sending one of the very best in the business, ABOM Pete Hanlin!

04/27/2024

This is your LAST CHANCE to RSVP for our upcoming (3) ABO CE Event at Chelo’s on the Water in Warwick on Thursday, May 16th!

Payment will be due at the door of the event in either CASH or CHECK, no credit cards!

A big THANK YOU to all of those who’ve already RSVP’d, as we have 40+ attendees thus far!!!!

Please email riopticians@gmail.com for any questions or text 401-447-7802.

We can't wait to see you all for a great event!

04/05/2024

HB 7297 was positioned for a Full Floor Vote in the RI House of Representatives chambers yesterday afternoon, and it PASSED and without ANY opposition!

We are 1/2 way there to realizing an Apprenticeship pathway to Licensure for Opticians in Lil’ Rhody! Many, many thanks to each of you who reached out to your Representatives to advocate for their Yay votes, and to Representative Alex Finkleman from Jamestown for their steadfast support and sponsorship of our measure!

We are now onto the RI Senate, where we have a companion bill to HB7297 already introduced! Senate Health & Human Services will now move to Consider HB7297 for a full floor vote there, and if passed, will be signed into law!

👀 on the finish line, it is in sight!!!! 🤓