UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Childhood poisoning contributes significantly to injury-related deaths in the U.S., with children under 6 years of age accounting for 39 percent of reported human exposures to poison control centers in 2020.
In an effort to mitigate this risk to children, Penn State Extension Master Gardener volunteers collaborated with Extension’s Pesticide Education Program to deliver poison prevention education this spring to first grade students across the commonwealth.
The program educated 18,087 students in 280 schools and in 48 counties across the state.
The 30-minute lesson teaches students about pests, integrated pest management and poison safety, including identifying signal words — such as “danger,” “warning” and “caution” — on product labels for potential toxicity. Instructors emphasize the importance of using the “Mr. YUK” symbol to alert everyone in the home about dangerous products and to promote overall safety.
Each lesson includes a parent packet for students to take home and share with their families. These packets contain “Mr. YUK” stickers that adults can place on products displaying the signal words they learned in the lesson. The packets are offered in English and Spanish.
“Master Gardeners continue to grow this program by providing their time and knowledge to youth across the state, with the goal of reaching students in all 67 counties,” said Andy Faust, interim state Master Gardener coordinator. “It also allows us to make connections with teachers who will invite us back for additional opportunities to teach students about seeds, propagation and the importance of plants.”
More information about the Poison Prevention Program is available on the Penn State Extension website.