GNS: New Hygiene Closets for High Schools
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In December the Wellness Navigators' Team saw a need in each of the Division's five high schools for hygiene and self-care support.
They worked together to create a ‘hygiene closet initiative’ for each of their high schools. The Wellness Navigators are responsible for restocking supplies and delivering hygiene presentations to classes. Each closet is clearly identified to aid student access.
Students are made aware of these hygiene closets through various avenues such as school announcements and partnering with the school's Family School Liaison Counselor, who often meets with students one-on-one, and where they may be more comfortable discussing their personal situations relating to hygiene and self-esteem.
The intent of the initiative is to support students and promoting self advocacy/student voice while allowing students the autonomy of choosing the products they need and the frequency in which they require those products.
As students enter junior and senior high school, education around hygiene is even more important with the rapid physical, emotional and environmental changes they experience. To assist with these changes, presentations from the Navigators include personal hygiene, locker hygiene, how to help keep their learning environment clean, and self-care practices: all to positively impact student self-esteem.