Making Public Health Stick: Hands-On Lessons in Germs and Prevention

A lesson in preventing illness can start with something as simple as washing your hands—or as unexpected as a handful of slime.

In September, Amber Freudenberger, Emily McDaniel and Michael Clark, staff members in the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the OU Hudson College of Public Health, volunteered with the Sparrow Project in Moore, Oklahoma. The organization supports adults with learning disabilities, and the visit offered an opportunity to share practical public health lessons through activities participants could see, touch and try themselves.

The team guided participants through an activity demonstrating how germs spread, then used Glo Germ to help them identify areas they missed while washing their hands. “Sneeze balloons” helped illustrate cough and sneeze etiquette, while slime provided a playful way to explain how mucus helps the body trap and remove germs.

Each activity connected an everyday habit with its role in preventing the spread of illness. By making the lessons interactive and accessible, the staff helped participants explore how they can protect their own health and the health of those around them.

The visit brought the college’s focus on improving community health into a setting where small, practical lessons could be put to use right away. It also highlighted the contributions staff make beyond their daily work, sharing their time and knowledge with community organizations.

For Freudenberger, McDaniel and Clark, the experience was a reminder that public health education can be engaging, approachable and fun—and that helping people understand the reasons behind healthy habits is an important part of putting public health into practice.