Atlanta, GA – Thousands of students will have returned to in-person learning at Atlanta Public Schools (APS) as of Feb.16th after a long hiatus of virtual learning. To help make this return a little easier, Atlanta-based Zep, Inc. is contributing to APS’s comprehensive Return + Learn reopening plan, a press release announced.

As part of Zep’s long-standing relationship with APS, the company is supplying hand sanitizer to all APS classrooms free of charge. Zep rolled out in-classroom awareness and education tips to select schools on Feb. 16th including Maynard Jackson High School, Emma Hutchinson Elementary School, Crawford W. Long Middle School, Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School and Frank Lebby Stanton Elementary School.

Zep experts will help teach proper hand hygiene, which according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is known to reduce transmission of respiratory illnesses, like colds, in the general population by up to 21%. These schools will also be provided with back-to-school safety kits, including reusable face masks, tote bags and a postcard highlighting best practices for hand hygiene.

On Feb. 17 at Ralph J. Bunche Middle School, Zep distributed hand sanitizer to parents or guardians through Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), a program that offers free healthy meals and other products to students at various curbside pick-up locations and designated school bus routes.

Additionally, educational posters with safety tips will be distributed to schools in the district, and digital mobile billboards will run throughout Atlanta, featuring creative, rotating headlines. The billboards will not only speak to the unique education sanitization program, but also spread joy and smiles around the city, especially those returning to in-person learning after the better part of a year.

“As students head back to school, it is important that we have measures in place to ensure their safety,” said Rachel Sprecher, Executive Director of Partnerships and Development, Atlanta Public Schools. “This program is designed to decrease health risks to students and their families and we are grateful that Zep identified this need and is generously providing the community with assistance.”

“As a parent with children in the APS, I know intimately how challenging it can be sending kids back to school during this time,” said Gary Gastel, Chief Marketing Officer, Zep. “We’re in a unique position to provide local community support and make the reopening process safer by supporting hand sanitizer availability for educators, students, and parents alike.”

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