Penn State Master Gardeners Partner with Pesticide Education Program to Teach Poison Prevention to First Graders across Washington County schools.
Master Gardener presenting poison prevention session to first graders at a Washington County elementary school.
In Spring 2025, the Poison Prevention Education Program significantly expanded its reach in Washington County, presenting 20 sessions at 15 schools, educating 890 children and 59 adults. This represents a 71% increase in the number of first graders reached compared to Spring 2024, when the Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Washington County revived the program, delivering essential safety lessons to 520 first graders and 30 adults in seven local schools.
Each session includes Mr. Yuk stickers for students to take home, encouraging families to label toxic substances and practice safe storage. Students also learn to recognize signal words like Caution, Warning, and Danger on product labels.
Read how Poison Prevention Education is making a difference: Observer-Reporter: Pesticide education program returns to Washington County classrooms
This initiative reflects the Master Gardeners' mission to promote safe pest management and public health through community education, helping to reduce accidental poisonings and build healthier, safer homes across Washington County.
To learn more about Poison Prevention Education in Washington County, contact the Penn State Extension Master Gardener Program Coordinator at:
Jaime Ursic – jlu109@psu.edu
