SAN DIEGO, CA - Mt. Carmel High School in Poway Unified School District has been awarded a $4,500 grant from the American Heart Association in support of CPR education and training through the school’s student-led Heart Club.
The funding is part of the American Heart Association’s Nation of Lifesavers™ initiative, a nationwide effort focused on increasing CPR education and improving survival rates from cardiac arrest. According to the American Heart Association, 9 out of every 10 people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die, often because they do not receive immediate CPR. When CPR is performed immediately, it can double or even triple a person’s chance of survival.
At Mt. Carmel High School, students in the Heart Club are working to change that reality by helping to make their campus and community safer and more prepared to respond in an emergency.
Mt. Carmel High School was selected as one of 33 high school and college campuses nationwide to receive funding through the Association’s Heart Club grant program. The grant will support student-organized projects that promote CPR education, help develop a cardiac emergency response plan for the campus, and raise awareness about sudden cardiac arrest. Students will host awareness events, use CPR in Schools training kits, and participate in advocacy efforts that promote safer schools and healthier communities.
“We are honored to receive this support from the American Heart Association,” said Dr. Yael Bozzay, Principal of Mt. Carmel High School. “This funding allows our students to lead the charge in creating a safer and more prepared school environment, while building confidence and leadership skills that will benefit them for life.”
In an emergency, seconds matter, and the ability to act can save a life. Through the leadership of Mt. Carmel students and the support of the American Heart Association, this program is helping prepare students to help when it matters most.