CPR in Schools trains more than 300 Wisconsin schools, 6,000 students

More than 6,000 students in Wisconsin are trained in hands-only CPR, thanks to the successful program CPR in Schools. This statewide program, funded by a grant from the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment, is coming to a close. However, with the skills and equipment provided to schools under this project, thousands of students will continue to be trained each year.

CPR in Schools is a program that trains teachers and equips Wisconsin schools with materials to train middle and high school students in hands-only CPR, which can save the lives of cardiac arrest victims. It began in 2016 to ensure Wisconsin schools offer ongoing, high-quality CPR training for its students. When a cardiac arrest victim collapses, their chance of survival diminishes 10% with each minute until CPR starts. However, if a bystander begins CPR before first responders arrive, a victim’s chance of survival can double or even triple.

Since 2016, CPR in Schools has:

• Reached 332 Wisconsin schools, training at least one teacher in every school

• Trained 6,191 Wisconsin students

“Reaching more than 330 schools statewide is a huge success,” said Dr. E. Brooke Lerner of the Medical College of Wisconsin. “We worked with schools from all areas of the state, from the southernmost areas of the state to the most northern regions. We are thankful for all schools that participated in this important program.” For a full list of participating schools, visit https://cprinwischools.wordpress.com/home/participating-schools/.

The project was led by Cooperative Educational Service Agency (CESA) #7 and the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin. The Wisconsin EMS Association (WEMSA) assisted with providing experienced trainers for these sessions, and the American Heart Association created the CPR in Schools kits which are provided to schools. Many other stakeholders are partners in this program. For a full list of partner organizations, visit here.

“Empowering teachers and students to be lifesavers in their own communities is a priceless skill and we are proud to partner on this statewide effort,” said Jeff Dickert, CESA #7 Administrator. “Even though this grant is ending, this critical training will continue on through the partnerships that Wisconsin schools have built with their local community partners.”

“We are thankful for the funding provided by the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment,” said Nicole Hudzinski, Advocacy Director with the American Heart Association. “With this funding, we were able to create the type of generational shift needed to fight cardiovascular disease and ensure everyone can live longer, healthier lives.”

To learn more about CPR in Schools, visit https://cprinwischools.wordpress.com