Thirty-four AHA! participants and seven staff are newly certified in CPR and other lifesaving techniques as a result of an afternoon training session conducted by the American Red Cross and sponsored by AHA! (the Academy of Healing Arts for Teens).
The teenagers learned how to recognize and respond to an emergency, when to call 911, how to safely move an injured person, how to recognize the signs of a heart attack, how to help a choking victim and how to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
All 41 participants passed the written exam that followed the training and are now CPR-certified for a year.
The training took place at the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara’s Parish Hall. The American Red Cross of Santa Barbara donated one-half of the cost of the training and AHA! Advisory Board members generously donated the other half.
“It’s part of our focus on developing social conscience in teenagers,” said Rendy Freedman, AHA! co-founder and co-director. “It’s helpful for the community to have 40 additional members who are trained to respond to emergencies.”
The Academy of Healing Arts for Teens is a project of the Family Therapy Institute and is dedicated to the development of character, imagination, emotional intelligence and social conscience in teenagers. Now in its 10th year, AHA! serves 300 teenagers annually through an innovative curriculum focusing on self-expression, team-building, empathy training and diversity appreciation.
AHA! offers in-school, after-school, weekend and summer programs for teenagers in Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Carpinteria.
Click here for more information or call the Family Therapy Institute at 805.569.2272, ext. 108.
Leslee Goodman is a publicist.