American Heart Association Awards CPR Training Grants to 33 Schools Nationwide

The American Heart Association has awarded 33 Nation of Lifesavers financial grants to American Heart Association Heart Clubs at high schools and colleges across 20 states, including the District of Columbia. This initiative addresses a critical public health issue: according to American Heart Association data, 9 out of every 10 people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die, in part because they do not receive immediate CPR more than half of the time. The grants are designed to strengthen the Association's nationwide movement to double survival rates from cardiac arrest by 2030 by empowering student-led organizations to expand lifesaving training on their campuses.

American Heart Association Heart Clubs are student-led organizations on high school and college campuses that empower members to lead activities supporting physical and mental well-being while making meaningful community impacts. Started in the 2024-2025 school year, there are now more than 250 of these groups across the U.S. The grants target schools including University of Rhode Island, Howard University, Cornell University, University of Michigan, Spelman College, The University of Texas at Austin, Clara Barton High School for Health Professions, Bayside High School, and Davis Senior High School, among others listed in the announcement.

The importance of campus preparedness is highlighted by personal testimony. "When my son's heart stopped, his coaches knew exactly what to do and jumped into action. But not everyone is that lucky," said Pia Scarfo Allocca, mother of Francesco Allocca who experienced sudden cardiac arrest at tryouts for the Locust Valley High School basketball team in November 2025. "Once people knew what was happening, their training kicked in. Someone started compressions. Someone grabbed the AED. My son is alive because his school was prepared." Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., FAHA, volunteer president of the American Heart Association, emphasized that "Preparation should be the norm, not the exception. These Heart Club grants will support the student volunteers and teacher advocates across this country working to save lives through CPR training and education."

For colleges, the Nation of Lifesaver grants include funding for two CPR in Schools Kits, complete with manikins and training materials, and $500 to facilitate CPR training on their campuses. For high schools, the grants provide funding to develop Cardiac Emergency Response Plans for individual schools, provide card-credentialed CPR First Aid AED training for students and faculty, raise awareness with CPR in Schools Kits, and advocate for public policies that make schools safer. The American Heart Association, as the worldwide leader in resuscitation science, education and training, publishes the official scientific guidelines for CPR, with the latest clinical guidelines published October 22, 2025 in the Association's flagship journal, Circulation.

The Association's Nation of Lifesavers initiative is committed to turning a nation of bystanders into lifesavers, with the long-term goal of ensuring that in any cardiac emergency, anyone, anywhere is prepared and empowered to perform CPR. The initiative represents a strategic approach to addressing the disparity in survival rates, as resources like the official guidelines at heart.org/nation and training materials become more accessible through these campus programs. Walgreens serves as a proud national sponsor of Nation of Lifesavers, supporting the expansion of these critical educational resources that aim to create safer communities through widespread CPR literacy.