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Excited preschoolers watched eagerly as Laura Keeling, a Louisville Water Educator, unpacked her bag of goodies at the front of the classroom inside Crossroads Elementary in Bullitt County.
“Is that a flashlight?” one of the students asked.
Keeling explained that the special flashlight was going to help the children learn about germs and how to get rid of them with proper handwashing. It is all part of Louisville Water’s Clean Hands Up! lesson.
Each year, a full team of Louisville Water educators visits schools, community centers and health events during the first week of December, which is National Handwashing Awareness Week.
“As cold and flu season approaches, and we gather for the holidays, it’s so important to learn that the simple act of washing hands with soap and water for 20 seconds can help keep us and our loved ones healthy,” said Heather Hill, Louisville Water Education & Outreach Specialist.
Throughout the week, educators plan to visit more than a dozen locations, teach nearly 30 lessons and reach about 800 people across Jefferson and Bullitt counties.
Keeling has taught the Clean Hands Up! lesson for six years. She started her latest lesson the same way she always has — by explaining to the children how Louisville Water sends clean water straight to their faucets.
We rely on that water for drinking, cooking, bathing and cleaning — and of course for washing our hands. Keeling explained to the students how germs can hide in small places and how proper handwashing can protect us.
“Germs are so tiny, we can’t even see them,” Keeling said, earning surprised looks from the preschoolers.
To demonstrate this, Keeling applied pretend, glow-in-the-dark “germs” — green lotion — to each of the students’ hands. Then she instructed them to wash their hands using the new tips they just learned.
After they washed their hands, Keeling used her special flashlight — a blacklight — to reveal any spots that the kids may have missed.
The students’ grade: an A+. Keeling did not find any green left over from the pretend germs.
“I’ve never had a whole class join the ‘Clean Hands Club’ on the first try!” Keeling said. “I think for a lot of kids, it’s kind of an ‘aha moment,’ when they realize, ‘How do germs get into your body?’”
Keeling encouraged the kids to pass on what they learned to their families to keep everyone healthy for the holidays.
Learn about handwashing with your little ones at home through a fun video with Tapper. You can also schedule a Louisville Water lesson for your school, workplace, or community event in 2026.
