Kid washing hands

A group of Minnesota girls who won a national contest for teaching proper hygiene habits were recently gifted an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C. as part of their award.

Students at Litchfield Middle School won the 2019 Healthy Schools, Healthy People, It’s a SNAP! Program presented by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and American Cleaning Institute (ACI), reports the Litchfield Independent Review.

Named “Clean Start,” the winning submission was a podcast and series of lessons the students used to teach hand hygiene to a group of preschoolers and more than 100 fifth graders. In addition to the handwashing techniques, the girls informed the students about the dangers of bacteria and germs.

The students were able to tour the iconic monuments and museums that fill the nation’s capital during the three-day trip. The students, Ellie Brown, Shelby Dengerud, Olivia Olson and Camryn Iverson, also met with Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota. The meeting was spent talking, taking pictures and educating Klobuchar on the details of their project.

Brown says the tour of Washington D.C. was a once in a lifetime experience.