Donation from St. Luke’s Health and Waste Connections provides CPR training kits to prepare middle schoolers at Conroe Independent School District

CONROE, TX -- The American Heart Association, the world’s leading voluntary organization focused on heart and brain health for all, delivered sixteen (16) CPR in Schools Training Kits™ to the Conroe Independent School District on August 12, 2024. Eight kits were made possible by a donation from St. Luke’s Health as part of the health system’s commitment to community health and education in the greater Houston area and east Texas. The other eight kits were made possible by a donation from Waste Connections as part of its ongoing commitment to the American Heart’s Associations mission to build a Nation of Lifesavers.

“We are proud to collaborate on a local initiative aimed at providing lifesaving CPR training to fifth and sixth graders across Conroe Independent School District,” said Lisa Fenley, development director with the American Heart Association-Houston.

The initiative, aimed at empowering young students with the knowledge and skills to respond to cardiac emergencies, will enhance the district's health education curriculum and foster a safer school environment. In 2013, Texas passed House Bill 897 which requires students in grades seventh through twelfth to learn CPR before they graduate. “However, parents on our Schools Health Advisory Council stressed the need for younger students to also have exposure to these lifesaving techniques,” said Wade Haymark, coordinator of physical education and health for Conroe ISD.

Michelle Little, vice president community affairs & corporate giving with Waste Connections agrees. “Waste Connections is excited to see fifth and sixth graders in CISD join the push to have at least one person in every home trained in hands-only CPR.”

"We believe that by equipping our youth with CPR training, we're investing in the health and safety of our community," said Mohammod Bushnaq, director of operations for St. Luke’s Health. "It's essential that everyone, regardless of age, has access to this vital education."

The district plans to integrate the CPR training into the existing curriculum in the 2024-2025 school year.

The CPR in Schools Training Kit™ is a comprehensive educational tool designed to teach students the critical skills of CPR within a single class period. It's designed to be easy to use and can be facilitated by anyone, making it ideal for school environments. The kit is also reusable, allowing for the training of large numbers of students.

For more information CPR in schools training, contact Heather.Butscher@heart.org at the American Heart Association-Houston.