Calling All K-12 Students… Happy Hands 2023-2024 is Here!
It is that time of year…school hallways are overflowing with students and the smell of No. 2 pencils fills the air. The start of a new school year also means cold and flu season is approaching. Parents and teachers want to reinforce to students the importance of hand hygiene, but it may not be the most interesting topic for young learners.
That is why SC Johnson Professional began the Happy Hands contest which combines the importance of hand hygiene with students’ creativity. K-12 schools across the United States are encouraged to participate. Students will use their creative skills to design a soap or sanitizer dispenser that promotes the importance of hand hygiene. Entries will be reviewed by a panel of judges and the top 5 finalists in each category will go to a public vote to determine the two grand prize winners.
Each grand prize winner, one each in the K-5 and 6-12 categories, will receive a $300 cash prize, 1,000 custom soap dispensers with their design printed on them for their school district and a $1,000 donation to their school.
Another Round of Applause
Last year’s contest received hundreds of entries from across the country. Once all entries were received, SC Johnson Professional’s panel of judges selected the Top 10 finalists, including students from California, Florida, Mississippi, Missouri, Texas and Wisconsin. It was a tough battle for the top spot and ultimately two students were crowned winners.
The K-5 category finalist was Ariel G., a 3rd grader at W.J.C. Trapp Elementary School in Rialto, California. Her design was bright and colorful with the message, “Wash Your Hands,” meant to capture the attention of users. At her celebration in April, she was joined by her family, friends, teachers, school administration and SC Johnson Professional representatives to celebrate her achievement. An excited Ariel cried happy tears as she learned she was the grand prize winner in her category. She was incredibly grateful to everyone who voted for her design and those who came out to celebrate her well-deserved win. When asked what Ariel plans to do with the prize money, she stated that she was excited to go out and get new art supplies.
Figure SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 1 Ariel G. holding her grand prize-winning dispenser design
In the grades 6-12 category, the winner was Sophia M., a 10th grader at Waterford Union High School in Waterford, Wisconsin. Her design was highly intricate, with bubbles depicting different types of wildlife to highlight our important role in keeping each other healthy. SC Johnson Professional representatives honored Sophia with her family, friends, teacher, and school administration at Waterford Union High School. Additionally, a representative for Wisconsin, state Congressman, Bryan Steil, awarded Sophia with a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for her achievement.
Figure SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 2 Sophia M. with her design titled, "We All Thrive When We Sanitize"
In an interview following the ceremony, Sophia described her thoughts on her dispenser design: “I wanted something that would appeal to everyone that would be using it, so I thought using animals was a fun way of doing that. You can look at it for a while and still find new things.”
This Could be You!
If you have creative students deserving of recognition, be sure to enter the 2023/2024 Happy Hands contest. SC Johnson Professional is excited to see the creativity of this year’s participants and how these students express the importance of hand hygiene in their unique designs.
Visit the Happy Hands website to view the complete official rules. After registering for the contest, your school will receive access to design templates as well as free hand hygiene educational materials for students. All submissions must be post-marked by November 30, 2023 – you can register now at
https://www.scjp.com/en-us/happy-hands.
Contest Rules
NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Open to K-12 schools in the 50 United States or the District of Columbia. Contest starts on September 1, 2023 at 12:00:00 am Eastern Time & ends November 30, 2023 at 11:59:59 pm Eastern Time. Void where prohibited. To register and to download the necessary materials, go to https://www.scjp.com/en-us/happy-hands. Entries must be received by 11:59:59 pm Eastern Time on November 30, 2023. Limit to one entry per individual student at a school. Grand Prizes (2): $1,000 gift card and up to 1,000 1-Liter Manual soap/sanitizer dispensers with an approximate retail value of $6,000 for the winning school and a $300 gift card for the winning student entrant. See full Official Rules, which govern, at https://www.scjp.com/en-us/happy-hands. Sponsor: SC Johnson Professional USA, Inc., 2815 Coliseum Centre Dr., #600, Charlotte, NC 28217.
