Colorado State University Extension
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RESOURCES

Edited by: Mary Schroeder, M.S., R.D. & Pat Kendall, Ph.D., R.D., Colorado State - Fall 2004

How Can Child Nutrition Professional Promote Handwashing?

Poor handwashing practices are a major reason why colds spread within a school setting. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 22 million school days are lost each year due to the common cold. Because proper handwashing habits and messages have been a part of Child Nutrition Programs for years, the National Food Service Management Institute (NFSMI) teamed up with USDA to develop the teaching package "Wash Your Hands: Educating the School Community." It provides an all-school approach to promoting clean hands within a school foodservice operation, the school staff, and the student body. The "Wash Your Hands" teaching package includes a variety of easy-to-use resources including a booklet, CD-ROM, activities, video, posters and tote bag. The video provides a just under five-minute wordless presentation on how and when to wash hands, making it a useful tool for training those who do not speak English. Training kits are being distributed to schools and others this fall. For more information, contact Theresa Stretch at 800-321-3954 or visit the website to download materials at: www.nfsmi.org/Information/handsindex.html.

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