The University of Kentucky Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences received the Golden Apple Award Sept. 12 from Fayette County Public Schools (FCPS). The Department of Ophthalmology was nominated for its work with the UK Global Ophthalmology Outreach Clinic (UK GO) serving Fayette County.
FCPS presents the Golden Apple Award to high-performance community partners that provide an exceptional commitment of time, energy and expertise to individual schools or the Fayette County district through mentorships and varied programs and initiatives. Through this recognition, they spotlight the commitment of the Lexington community and FCPS to provide a world-class education to all their students.
Beginning in October 2023, a team from the Department of Ophthalmology has traveled to six different elementary schools in Fayette County to provide no-cost eye exams for students. The program has served 95 children with eye exams and 56 of those also received glasses.
“I’m truly honored to receive this award,” said Megan Chestnut, UK Ophthalmology optical manager. “It’s incredibly rewarding to see our efforts recognized. I’m grateful for the support and encouragement from everyone involved including the school employees. It’s a great reminder that hard work and passion do make a difference.”
The UK GO program strives to remove barriers to learning by giving children the vision support they need to succeed in school. In Fayette County, the clinic provided exams during school hours with the goal to ease the burden on caretakers, eliminating the need for them to take a day off for a child’s eye appointment.
“Serving the Lexington community in this way is important because it allows us to give back, build meaningful connections and help create a stronger, more supportive environment for everyone,” Chestnut said. “When we invest in our kids, we’re not just addressing current needs, we're also helping to shape a better future for them.”
UK GO plans to continue serving students in Fayette County and across Kentucky. Through partnerships like this, UK is working to remove barriers to care, strengthen communities and create a healthier Commonwealth where every child has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive.