The Scrub Club is a “fun, engaging website designed for kids from three to eight years old to educate them about the benefits of hand washing.” It brings characters like Hot Shot, Squeak and Bac to life, who help children understand how and why to wash their hands often. It’s free and geared for global use as it has already been translated into French and Spanish; the Mandarin version is on its way.
“There was a need. At NSF, we had education programs for adults, but nothing for kids,” Fisher said. “We thought about ‘what’s the best way to reach them?’ and ‘what’s relevant for them?’ … and [the Scrub Club] is a program that can leave an imprint on the way that we live. It can make us safer.
“Our mission is to be a leading global provider of public health solutions,” Fisher explained. “True to our mission, we wanted to develop a program for one segment of the population that fits into this mission and our education purpose.”
The Scrub Club took a team of researchers and creators more than a year to design.
“We worked with the [Center for Disease Control], universities, other health entities – we wanted to make sure that we got it right, that it was correct, that kids would get it, and that we were sensitive to cultural differences,” Fisher said.
One of Fisher’s favorite parts was developing the characters, who each provide tips and information about hand washing in a fun way.
Fisher has helped to market the site; he has promoted it on TV shows like Good Morning America, through conversations on Capitol Hill, and through partnerships with organizations like the American Red Cross.
“We have not put 10 cents into advertising,” Fisher said. “It’s all been word of mouth. We started off with our rolodex and went from there.”
The Scrub Club is one of the highlights of Fisher’s successful career, which began in the food industry.
“Here I was trying to make better tasting Fruity Pebbles -- but this is about helping to make people safer,” Fisher said. “That’s what keeps me with this organization -- to be able to work on a program that can affect so many lives, you just feel really good that you made a difference.”
Fisher credits his Phi Kappa Theta experience for teaching him what it was like to be a member of and lead a team, which made the Scrub Club project successful.
“We all grew up together – cried and laughed together and were there for each other,” Fisher said “It was the best time of my life – I learned so much.
“I learned what it was like to be part of a team, an organization,” he said. “Individuals don’t win, teams do. [Phi Kap] was a great team.”
Fisher has been with the NSF for six years. He now lives in Raleigh, North Carolina and commutes to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where NSF is located, each week.
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