American Heart Association Launches Grant Program to Expand CPR Training in Schools

The American Heart Association has launched a new financial grant program to equip 40 high school and college Heart Clubs across the country with CPR training and resources. Announced on World Restart a Heart Day, this initiative aims to strengthen campus safety by empowering students and educators with lifesaving skills while expanding the Association's Nation of Lifesavers movement, which targets doubling cardiac arrest survival rates by 2030.

Nayan Sapers, American Heart Association Volunteer National Youth Leadership Council member and founder of CrimsonEMS Ambassador CPR Program at Harvard College, emphasized the program's importance, stating, "We all know what to do if there's a fire at school. Why should cardiac arrest be any different? More than 350,000 cardiac arrests happen outside the hospital each year. We all deserve someone nearby who is prepared and willing to help."

The grant program will support two distinct groups of recipients. Twenty college grants include funding for two CPR in Schools Kits, complete with manikins, AED simulators and training materials, plus $500 to facilitate CPR training on campus. These resources provide Heart Club leaders with everything needed to promote CPR skills to students and faculty.

For high schools, twenty grants offer up to $4,500 per school to develop Cardiac Emergency Response Plans, provide card-credentialed CPR First Aid AED training, raise awareness with CPR in Schools Kits, and advocate for public policies that enhance school safety. All registered Heart Clubs with faculty advisors are encouraged to apply, with no prior CPR credentialing required, as recipients will receive full training and guidance from the American Heart Association.

The timing of this initiative coincides with the upcoming release of newly updated CPR clinical guidelines on October 22. According to American Heart Association data, 9 out of every 10 people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die, partly because they do not receive immediate CPR more than half of the time. Immediate CPR can double or triple a person's chance of survival.

Dr. Stacey E. Rosen, volunteer president of the American Heart Association, highlighted the cultural shift needed, stating, "We know Hands-Only CPR is a simple two-step skill that could save someone's life in an emergency, but not everyone gets the help they need when they need it. Learning CPR should be a part of our culture, like getting your driver's license, or going to prom."

The Association's broader Nation of Lifesavers initiative aims to transform bystanders into lifesavers, ensuring that anyone, anywhere is prepared and empowered to perform CPR during cardiac emergencies. Applications for the Heart Club grants are due November 20, with winners announced December 8. More information about Heart Clubs and available grant opportunities can be found here.