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The colder months bring more than just festive lights and catchy music, we tend to see more runny noses, sore throats, and nagging coughs, too.
National Handwashing Week is recognized as the first week in December. Each year, Louisville Water educators visit schools, libraries, and community organizations to educate individuals on the importance of germ prevention, specifically through handwashing.
This year, Louisville Water visited seven locations, taught 40 classroom lessons, and reached 1,300+ individuals, kicking off the week at Freedom Elementary School and Signature HealthCARE of East Louisville. Educators also tabled at the Health Occupants Students of America (HOSA) Regional Conference Resource Fair at Bellarmine University, a conference preparing students for careers in health science.
“The Clean Hands Up! program is a fun way educate kids and get them excited about something as essential as washing their hands,” said Heather Hill, Louisville Water Education & Outreach Specialist. “It’s also an opportunity to connect with our community. This lesson is often one of the first memories students have with Louisville Water.”
Rutherford Elementary Family Resource Coordinator, Sheryl Day, said she uses the Clean Hands Up! lesson to prepare students for cold and flu season.
“(We) want kids to wash their hands and just be safe and healthy while they’re here at school,” Day said.
Louisville Water educator Barbara Crow started her lesson at Rutherford by asking her fifth grade class how they use water each day.
Showering, drinking, cooking, cleaning, and handwashing were just a few of the answers she got.
“Ding, ding, ding!” she said, leading her right into her next experiment.
Crow applied glow-in-the-dark “germs” (green lotion) to each of the kids’ hands. They were instructed to rub it in and then go wash their hands as they would normally. “Don’t try to impress me,” Crow instructed.
Crow used a blacklight to reveal the spots they missed and then led the group in a five-step, 20-second handwashing tutorial. Their homework? To show a family member, sibling, or friend how to be a “germ-stopper” too!
“Make sure what you learn, you teach,” Crow said.
Looking for more handwashing tips? Tapper has a fun video to get littles ones into the habit. You can also schedule a Louisville Water lesson for your school, workplace, or community event in 2025.
