Kimberly-Clark Professional is embarking on the next stage of the Healthy Schools Project with the roll-out of a new 'Hand Wash Heroes' programme aimed at 7 to 11 year olds. Built around the theme of 'Battle of the Germs', the new initiative provides teachers with informative learning materials to encourage primary school children to practice good hand hygiene to reduce the spread of germs that cause illness.
The 'Battle of the Germs' theme has been launched at an important time with the cold and flu season taking hold. Every day, thousands of children are absent from school due to minor illnesses that can be spread by poor hand hygiene. In the 2012 autumn term alone, pupil absence increased to 4.7% in state primary schools, of which 3.2% was associated with illness, according to Department for Education figures.
'Battle of the Germs' is designed to link in with science and PSHE subjects on the curriculum, covering a range of topics relating to micro-organisms and educating children on how germs are spread. To achieve this, Kimberly-Clark Professional has developed a lively and engaging toolkit for teachers which introduces a range of six characters, all inspired by real germs.
The characters have been given names that will appeal a child's sense of fun - Fun Guy, YoGirl, and Vaccinator (good germs) and Viro, Bacterio, and Dr Blister (bad germs). Each is designed to help children learn about the roles performed by different kinds of micro-organisms.
Schools participating in the Healthy Schools Project will receive a toolkit for teachers, containing lesson plans and rewards for the children including certificates and bookmarks. Kimberly-Clark Professional hand hygiene dispensers, along with themed posters, help to engage children in the washroom and encourage them to wash and dry their hands correctly.
Dr Louise Vickerman, education manager at Kimberly-Clark Professional, said: “We are very excited to be introducing the next stage of our Hand Wash Heroes programme. The materials we've created for the 'Battle of the Germs' theme reflect the interests and educational requirements of primary school pupils in the 7-11 age group. The aim is to teach children why good hygiene practices are important and also to make hand washing fun!”
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