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Community
Outreach &
School
Programs
Fairs,
Festivals, and Community Events
Germ City has
been an important part of state and county fairs, festivals
and community events in thirteen states, reaching more than
400,000 people since 1996. In response to E. coli outbreaks
and public health concerns, Germ
City has been the focal point of guest hand
washing education to improve public health. At many fairs
around the country, Germ
City is an annual event. Youth and adults
have enthusiastically participated in the program. With an
array of collaborative support during large community events, Germ
City has attracted rural and urban participants,
appealing to people from all walks of life.
Impact
at Fairs
After visiting Germ City during fairs and festivals held in Washington, Hawaii,
and Ihado, 2,524 youth and adults were asked to complete a behavior change survey
after completing the education program. There was an 86.6% completion rate. The
charts show results from the evaluation conducted in 2003.
There
was also evidence of system change at Puyallup Washington's Western
Washington Fair, (the 5th largest fair in the world) after the
introduction
of the Germ City Program. Previous
evaluation conducted during collaborative programming with the
Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department indicated there was immediate,
measurable evidence of behavior change during initial
outreach programming. Soap usage doubled from 300 gallons to
600 gallons during the fair. There was also an additional 180
gallons of sanitizers used in 28 newly installed waterless stations.
School
Programs
Germ City Programs
have been very successful in schools. Program delivery methods
vary depending on event and educational opportunities. In elementary
and middle schools, presentations using the science based, Germ
City curriculum
are delivered to small groups in sessions lasting 30 to 60 minutes.
The curriculum has been reviewed by elementary and middle school
educators and Extension educators. Evaluation tools were developed
by Dr. Allison Nichols, Evaluation Specialist, West Virginia
University Extension Service.
Parent
Newsletter
Impact
Evaluation was conducted with 179 elementary (4th) and 172 middle school (8th)
students in WA, AL, HI, WV, and ID at ten sites. A pre- and post-hand evaluation
form with a four-point Likert scale to rate the cleanliness of the front and
back of the right hand was developed. Both the researcher’s perception
of hand washing effectiveness and the child’s perception of hand washing
effectiveness were assessed. Children answered questions about hand washing
behaviors and teachers completed a questionnaire about benefits of the Germ
City Program.
Germ City has
a significant impact on children’s hand washing skills.
Four to six weeks after the initial presentation/assessment,
with no new instruction, there was improved hand washing effectiveness
confirmed by independent observations of educators/researchers
and students. Assessments of the right hand included evaluation
of fingernails, knuckles, back of wrist, between fingers, fingertips,
palm, and front of the wrist after applying a uv-light sensitive
lotion and performing a normal hand wash. Pre- and post-testing
was completed with 351 matched pairs of students in the 4th and
8th grades. Self reporting conducted during post-testing, showed
significantly more students reported they had washed hands before
eating dinner the night before and after they last went to the
bathroom than during the initial Germ
City presentation.
Evaluation showed that Germ
City works
well with 4th and 8th grade students and boys and girls. The
results were better, however with 8th grade students and, to
a lesser extent, better with girls.
Teachers
reported that the activity was informative, interactive, and
creative. Teachers also reported that they observed a greater
awareness on students’ part regarding the need to wash
their hands as well as a greater awareness of the frequency and
thoroughness of hand washing. Teachers were asked to identify
barriers to implementing the Germ
City Program,
for curriculum review, and for suggestions in marketing the program
to other teachers.
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