Kao Industrial (Thailand) Co., Ltd., a Japanese manufacturer of consumer products and chemicals, has launched the Kao Care & Protect School Program, its first initiative dedicated to supporting healthier school environments.
Developed in partnership with the CONNEXT ED Foundation, the programme supports hygiene and environmental education while helping schools create clean and safe surroundings where children can learn and grow.
The initiative forms part of Kao’s ESG strategy, the Kirei Lifestyle Plan.
In its first year, the programme is being piloted at three schools near Kao’s manufacturing plant in Chonburi province: Phutthayakhom Kindergarten School (Wat Khao Bang Sai), Choomchon Wat Nong Tamlung, and Chonkanyanukoon School.
Activities are tailored to the needs and circumstances of each school, allowing hygiene education to move beyond the classroom and become part of students’ daily routines. Over time, the programme aims to help good hygiene take root as a lasting culture within each school.
Healthy schools are built together
Kao believes that a good environment for children is built on three connected foundations: knowledge, behaviour and physical surroundings.
The Kao Care & Protect School Program allows each school to choose from five core activities according to its own priorities, with public and private-sector partners contributing knowledge and expertise.
The first activity, Reborn Plastics, focuses on plastic waste management. Students learn how plastic waste is handled, from sorting to reuse, with guidance from Kao staff and expert partners.
Teamplas Chemical Co., Ltd. introduces students to the recycling process, while Amata Facility Services Co., Ltd. shows how plastic waste can be turned into refuse-derived fuel, or RDF. The activity is designed to help students understand the value of resources and take an active role in protecting the environment.
The second activity, Dengue School Protector, focuses on dengue prevention. Students learn how to prevent dengue fever, eliminate mosquito breeding sites and use new approaches and innovations to keep mosquitoes away.
The session is delivered with the Vector-Borne Disease Control Center 6 under the Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, and Earth (Thailand) Co., Ltd. The aim is to help create a safer environment at school and at home.
The third activity, Sis to Sis, supports reproductive health education for girls approaching adolescence.
Female students learn about changes during puberty and how to take care of themselves during menstruation. The session draws on Sis2Sis, a Laurier community programme that has been running for more than 27 years, and is designed to help girls enter their teenage years with greater confidence and understanding.
The fourth activity, Hygiene Heroes, focuses on cleanliness and infection prevention at school.
Students learn everyday hygiene habits such as handwashing, caring for shared spaces and preventing the spread of infectious diseases. They are also encouraged to help keep their schools clean and pleasant, while sharing good hygiene habits with those around them.
The fifth activity, Kao Open House, takes learning beyond the classroom.
Kao opens its manufacturing plant so students can see its operations and production processes up close, helping spark curiosity and broaden their understanding of science.
From Kao’s expertise to community change
The launch of the Kao Care & Protect School Program reflects Kao’s belief that its knowledge, expertise and experience in hygiene can be used to support society.
For Kao, improving quality of life does not need to begin with anything complicated. It can start with proper understanding and the right habits around everyday matters close to people’s lives.
The partnership with CONNEXT ED also connects the private sector with the education sector to build an ecosystem that supports children’s learning across health, the environment and practical life skills.
Beyond classroom activities, Kao is extending its support to students’ families.
The company is supplying hygiene products for use in common areas at all three schools. With funding from Kao Corporation in Japan, Kao is also donating 6,000 units of ARS Mos Shooter mosquito eradication spray, worth 828,000 baht, for students and teachers to take home.
The aim is to extend good hygiene practices from school into the family and help create clean, safe living environments that are free from mosquitoes and the diseases they can carry.
Kao will monitor the results of the first-year pilot and use the findings to refine the programme so it better serves schools and their communities.
The company hopes the Kao Care & Protect School Program will expand to more schools and create a wider positive impact, based on the idea that good hygiene is not limited to the home. It can be built anywhere children learn and grow.
The story Kao launches school hygiene programme with CONNEXT ED in Chonburi as seen on Thaiger News.
