The 2017 Healthy Futures Fair was held at Mountain View Elementary on Thursday, April 6, from 5:30 - 7 p.m. Co-hosted by Frontier Nursing University (FNU) Courier Program and Mountain View Elementary, this event allowed for residents of Leslie County to learn about healthcare access and services in their area.

Students that attended were encouraged to learn about career options from health care representatives at the fair, as well. The fair was attended by 200 people, and around 150 healthy futures bags that included healthy snacks, a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a water bottle were given to students.

Prior to the community event, three guest speakers were brought in earlier in the week for activities with Mountain View Elementary’s 21st Century Program. On Monday, April 3, Kyle Farmer, a FNU student, led two sessions in healthy food choices. A variety of fruits and vegetables were provided for students to try as well.

Tuesday, Maggie Bowling from Old Homeplace Farm brought seeds for the students to plant. The students loved spending time outside and learning about food sustainability. Last but not least, Wednesday brought Jason Lindsey, also known as “Mr. Science”, who treated Mountain View Elementary students to extravagant science experiments. He also spent time speaking with 4th-8th grade students about tobacco use and its effects on the body.

Frontier Nursing University is also proud to announce Charles "Charlie" Dewayne Hensley was awarded the first $1,000 Healthy Futures Scholarship on Monday, May 8, at the historic Wendover Bed and Breakfast Inn. The Healthy Futures Scholarship was a one-time $1000 scholarship funded by the Frontier Nursing Service (FNS) Foundation.

Charlie is the son of Nola and Roger Hensley of Hyden, Ky. He is currently in the 7th grade at W.B. Muncy Elementary School, where he is involved in the United Club, the Gifted and Talented Program and the Academic Team.

“We feel that this scholarship has shown Charlie that a little hard work in school does pay off and may push him to do his best in the future,” said Charlie’s parents.

Any 6th-8th grade student attending a Leslie County school was invited to apply for the Healthy Futures Scholarship. Students were asked to answer one of four questions in a short essay that focused on the ideas of healthy futures. Charlie wrote about why he thought learning about health and science is important and spoke of his desire to become a biomedical engineer. Charlie plans to pursue his education at either Johns Hopkins University or the University of Kentucky.

Healthy Futures Fair event activities and materials were primarily funded by the FNS Foundation.