The StudentCPR.com website, which officially launched this year in the Grand Rapids area, is an effort by local e-learning company, ProTrainings, to bring free CPR and AED (automated external defibrillator) training to high school students. Made possible through the use of technology, the training is being delivered as a “blended” course, in which the CPR instruction and testing are performed online by the students. Then, a trained teacher performs the one-on-one skill evaluation for the student, verifying that he or she has mastered the necessary skills. ProTrainings is providing the student and teacher training free of charge for schools that choose to participate in the program.
One of the schools benefiting from the free program is City High School. This week, students from City will be completing the hands-on portion of the course to earn a Community CPR Certification card. The school will be sending 61 high school students through the training this school year.
“High school students are excellent candidates for performing CPR. They still have the general boldness of young children, yet they are strong enough to perform compressions,” explains Roy Shaw, the paramedic/instructor who teaches the online Student CPR course. Studies have shown that 83% of high-schoolers are very willing to provide bystander CPR. Roy co-founded ProTrainings with the mission to provide a more efficient CPR training experience to anyone willing to take the time to learn. That is exactly what the Student CPR program is doing.
For years, organizations such as the American Heart Association have been encouraging that CPR be taught in schools. However, the cost constraints and reduction in school budgets across the country have made this goal largely unattainable. By taking advantage of technology, schools are now able to realistically teach CPR to every high school student before graduation. As Roy puts it, “Knowing CPR could literally mean the difference between life and death for a loved one.”
About ProTrainings, LLC:
ProTrainings is a health and safety e-learning company based in Grand Rapids, MI. The company offers a variety of accredited online CPR, first aid, and bloodborne pathogens training programs at www.protrainings.com. ProTrainings has certified more than 340,000 health care professionals across the United States and internationally since 2003.
