Join our new Myopia Management COPE group

Optometry Australia invites Expressions of Interest for our new Myopia Management Community of Practice and Education (COPE) group, launching mid-June 2025 to coincide with our National Myopia Awareness Campaign. We welcome optometrists already active in myopia management, as well as those looking to expand their expertise and impact in this growing area of practice. Apply by 26 May 2025.

COPE groups bring together passionate professionals who share a common commitment to learning, mentoring, and collaboration. Originally conceptualised by educational theorists Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger, Communities of Practice are built around three core elements: 

• Domain: A valued shared area of professional focus. 

• Community: A network committed to sharing experiences, supporting one another, and fostering ongoing dialogue. 

• Practice: The active development and exchange of knowledge, skills, and best practice. 

Within optometry, COPE groups provide a safe, supportive forum where members regularly discuss clinical cases, emerging research, and challenges directly relevant to their work. 

Since establishing the first Glaucoma COPE group in 2022, Optometry Australia has expanded this peer-learning model to include groups for rural optometrists, those focused on paediatric optometry, and optometrists working within the public health system. Over 100 members have now joined our growing COPE community, helping shape a strong and patient-centred professional network. 

COPE groups meet online every 6–8 weeks, offering an accessible, collegial space for building skills, strengthening professional networks, and gaining interactive CPD points, including therapeutic interactive points. They complement traditional CPD offerings by fostering deeper peer connections and practical, real-world learning. 

Joining a COPE group is a rewarding way to grow your expertise, contribute to the advancement of clinical practice, and be part of a collaborative community shaping the future of optometry. 

To express your interest, please email Nicola Anstice at n.anstice@optometry.org.au with the subject line ‘COPE Myopia Management group application’ and include:

• Your full name
• Practice location
• Member number
• A few sentences about
  a) your experience in myopia management and
  b) why you would like to join the COPE Myopia Management group.

Expressions of Interest for the Myopia Management COPE group close at 5.00 pm AEST on Monday 26 May 2025.