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Personal hygiene involves keeping all parts of the body clean and healthy. Good personal hygiene leads to improved self-esteem, body image, confidence and can prevent the spread of germs and infectious diseases.

Learning about personal hygiene at a young age will help maintain good physical and mental health, decrease the spread of infections, and assist with the changes that occur during puberty. Poor personal hygiene provides an ideal environment for germs to grow, leaving individuals vulnerable to infections.  As well, people with poor personal hygiene may result in increased isolation and loneliness. 

Personal hygiene includes care of the face, mouth, hands, hair, nails, body, and clothing. It also includes care of the body during puberty (menstrual and genital hygiene).

Using the Ministry of Education’s Foundations for a Healthy School framework, schools, school boards, parents and community partners can work together to develop healthy school environments that promote and support student well-being. Hygiene resources and support are organized below following this framework.

Resources & Information for:

Resources

Lessons and Activities

  • WECHU- Kahoot’s Hygiene Presentation: A fun activity developed to reinforce the grade 4 Healthy Living Strand on Human Development and Sexual Health. There is a Personal Hygiene Lesson Plan and a Facilitator’s Guide both in English and French.
  • Kids Health®- Grade 6 to 8 Personal Health Series: Information, activities, and quizzes related to the curriculum. Content is linked and grouped by topic and subtopics.
  • Ophea: Free online resources to support educators in implementing the Ontario Health and Physical Activity Curriculum (Grades 1-8), including lesson plans and resources regarding hygiene. Must create an account to access resources.
  • Always Changing: This school-based resource is a free set of instructional materials to help students (grades 5 to 8) understand the physical and emotional changes related to puberty. There are a variety of resources available such as student manuals, worksheets, and quizzes, as well as a teacher’s guide.
  • Washing My Skin: This lesson plan supports an early-year student. Learning goals include an understanding of the effects of healthy living and appropriate personal hygiene. It includes discussion points, an activity suggestion, and questions.
  • The Body and Hygiene: Offering a variety of early years learning lessons, covering these topics: Care of Teeth, Germs, Healthy Bodies, A Body on the Inside, and A Body on the Outside.
  • WECHU- Handwashing Kit: This toolkit details the importance of proper handwashing and includes a demonstration of handwashing. Using the GlitterBug Germ Kit, students can see areas of their hands that they did not wash effectively, under a UV light. To borrow a Handwashing Kit from the Healthy Schools Department, please contact 519-258-2146 x1555, or your school health nurse directly.
  • Engage the student council or student wellness council to actively participate in identifying school needs and activities to address those needs.
  • Michigan Student Leadership- Students in Action: Period Hygiene Network: An example of how students can get involved in improving accessibility to period hygiene products. Students created a Period Hygiene Network in their school where they stock up on feminine hygiene products for their fellow peers using donations from the community. This way, female students no longer need to miss class time due to not having access to the feminine hygiene products they need.
  • Selfcare.ca- International Self-Care Day: On July 24, 2023, ccelebrate self-care, lifelong habits and culture, and learn about the importance of self-care day to the health of Canadians and the health care system. Good hygiene is one of the seven pillars of self-care.

Support in the Community

  • 211 South West Region website: Searched for a Youth Drop-In Centre or support for a housing issue to find supports in the community. Call 211 to get help finding local agencies that can support shelter, shower, or hygiene products.
  • Windsor-Essex Youth Services Card: Provides contact information related to services and referral support in Windsor-Essex County.
  • Youth Wellness Hub- Windsor Site has a period pantry for teens to access any feminine personal hygiene products available Monday to Friday from 1 pm to 7 pm at 3640 Wells Street at Cottage 6 (Maryvale).
  • Homelessness and Housing Help Hub (H4) – Offers a day program at 400 Wyandotte St. E. Windsor (Monday to Sunday- 7 days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.) to support those experiencing homelessness. This centre services teens with housing needs helping provide basic needs. It connects people experiencing homelessness to several services such as health care, addiction support workers, social assistance, mental health, harm reduction supplies, and Service Canada.  
  • The Downtown Mission of Windsor- The Windsor Youth Centre: This program provides young people aged 16-25 with essentials like food and hygiene items as well as opportunities for growth and personal development.
  • The Bridge Youth Resource Centre: Support for ages 14 to 24 in the greater Leamington area in a safe, welcoming space to get help with housing (a supportive housing program with eligibility requirements and housing support services). Also available is access to basic needs such as showers, laundry, food, and hygiene products as necessary. A hygiene kit is received for those that take a shower or as requested.

Additional Resources and Support

Support in the Community

  • 211 South West Region website: Searched for a Youth Drop-In Centre or support for a housing issue to find supports in the community. Call 211 to get help finding local agencies that can support shelter, shower, or hygiene products.
  • Windsor-Essex Youth Services Card: Provides contact information related to services and referral support in Windsor-Essex County.
  • Youth Wellness Hub- Windsor Site has a period pantry for teens to access any feminine personal hygiene products available Monday to Friday from 1 pm to 7 pm at 3640 Wells Street at Cottage 6 (Maryvale).
  • Homelessness and Housing Help Hub (H4) – Offers a day program at 400 Wyandotte St. E. Windsor (Monday to Sunday- 7 days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.) to support those experiencing homelessness. This centre services teens with housing needs helping provide basic needs. It connects people experiencing homelessness to several services such as health care, addiction support workers, social assistance, mental health, harm reduction supplies, and Service Canada.  
  • The Downtown Mission of Windsor- The Windsor Youth Centre: This program provides young people aged 16-25 with essentials like food and hygiene items as well as opportunities for growth and personal development.
  • The Bridge Youth Resource Centre: Support for ages 14 to 24 in the greater Leamington area in a safe, welcoming space to get help with housing (a supportive housing program with eligibility requirements and housing support services). Also available is access to basic needs such as showers, laundry, food, and hygiene products as necessary. A hygiene kit is received for those that take a shower or as requested.

Additional Resources and Support

  • Engage the student council or student wellness council to actively participate in identifying school needs and activities to address those needs.
  • Michigan Student Leadership- Students in Action: Period Hygiene Network: An example of how students can get involved in improving accessibility to period hygiene products. Students created a Period Hygiene Network in their school where they stock up on feminine hygiene products for their fellow peers using donations from the community. This way, female students no longer need to miss class time due to not having access to the feminine hygiene products they need.
  • Selfcare.ca- International Self-Care Day: On July 24, 2023, ccelebrate self-care, lifelong habits and culture, and learn about the importance of self-care day to the health of Canadians and the health care system. Good hygiene is one of the seven pillars of self-care.

Support in the Community

  • 211 South West Region website: Searched for a Youth Drop-In Centre or support for a housing issue to find supports in the community. Call 211 to get help finding local agencies that can support shelter, shower, or hygiene products.
  • Windsor-Essex Youth Services Card: Provides contact information related to services and referral support in Windsor-Essex County.
  • Youth Wellness Hub- Windsor Site has a period pantry for teens to access any feminine personal hygiene products available Monday to Friday from 1 pm to 7 pm at 3640 Wells Street at Cottage 6 (Maryvale).
  • Homelessness and Housing Help Hub (H4) – Offers a day program at 400 Wyandotte St. E. Windsor (Monday to Sunday- 7 days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.) to support those experiencing homelessness. This centre services teens with housing needs helping provide basic needs. It connects people experiencing homelessness to several services such as health care, addiction support workers, social assistance, mental health, harm reduction supplies, and Service Canada.  
  • The Downtown Mission of Windsor- The Windsor Youth Centre: This program provides young people aged 16-25 with essentials like food and hygiene items as well as opportunities for growth and personal development.
  • The Bridge Youth Resource Centre: Support for ages 14 to 24 in the greater Leamington area in a safe, welcoming space to get help with housing (a supportive housing program with eligibility requirements and housing support services). Also available is access to basic needs such as showers, laundry, food, and hygiene products as necessary. A hygiene kit is received for those that take a shower or as requested.

Additional Resources and Support