As Loren Jackson's third grade class entered the science lab at Presidents Elementary, Sophie Logan, a community relations clerk with Cascade Valley Hospital, squirted a dab of goo into their hands.

"Rub your hands together really well," she told the kids.

A few minutes later, after they were settled in a neat semi-circle on the floor of the classroom, the hospital's Kelly Penny told them a secret.

"We gave you germs," she said, quickly adding, "but they're only pretend germs."

The gathering was part of a community outreach program by the local hospital in cooperation with Arlington schools, designed to emphasize the importance of good hand-washing techniques.

The students took turns examining their hands under a special light that showed the glittery gel in bright shades of green, simulating germs.

"Ooh, gross," said Macey Orth.

Penny reviewed the six steps for "germ-busting" with the youngsters, with eager answers from the audience. The students had learned the routine: get your hands wet, add soap, wash for 20 seconds, rinse, dry with a paper towel, then use the towel to turn off the water.

"Washing for 20 seconds is a pretty long time," said Penny. "Try singing happy birthday or your A-B-Cs to time it."

Standing at the two sinks in the room, the third-graders diligently washed their hands, then returned to the light stations to see the results.

"I still had some around my fingernails," said one student.

"Yeah, I missed some on the back of my hand," remarked another.

The health outreach was the result of efforts by Christina Bassford, the school district nurse, in partnership with the hospital. The team spent an entire week visiting elementary schools in the district, interacting with more than 2,000 students during that time. After the presentation, each of the students received a pack of antibacterial hand wipes to keep in their backpacks.

"This project is a good example of the strong partnership between the schools and the hospital," said Penny. "Good relationships are at the core of community effectiveness."

The hospital, which is in the last phases of an ambitious expansion project, also partners with the City of Arlington during community events and offers employer health fairs. On September 19 the community relations team planned to provide staffing for a booth during Arlington Community Day and the Bite of Arlington, providing hand wipes and health reminders to visitors.

As the kids began to file out of the lab, Penny offered some parting words of wisdom.

"Go forth and be clean," she told the youngsters.