The American Heart Association has awarded 32 Nation of Lifesaver financial grants to American Heart Association Heart Clubs at 33 high schools and colleges in 20 states, including the District of Columbia, to expand CPR training and create safer campus environments. According to the Association, 9 out of every 10 people who experience cardiac arrest outside a hospital die, partly because more than half do not receive immediate CPR. These grants aim to change that by empowering student-led organizations to teach lifesaving skills.
The grants support Heart Clubs, which are student-led groups on high school and college campuses that promote physical and mental well-being. Since launching in the 2024-2025 school year, more than 250 Heart Clubs have formed across the United States. Recipient institutions include Howard University, Cornell University, the University of Michigan, and high schools such as Belen Jesuit Preparatory School in Florida and Davis Senior High School in California.
For colleges, the grants provide funding for two CPR in Schools Kits, complete with manikins and training materials, plus $500 to facilitate CPR training. High schools receive funding to develop a Cardiac Emergency Response Plan, provide CPR First Aid AED training for students and faculty, raise awareness with CPR in Schools Kits, and advocate for public policies that enhance school safety.
“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, whose son Francesco experienced sudden cardiac arrest at a basketball tryout at Locust Valley High School in November 2025. “Someone started compressions. Someone grabbed the AED. My son is alive because his school was prepared.”
“Preparation should be the norm, not the exception,” said Dr. Stacey E. Rosen, volunteer president of the American Heart Association. “These Heart Club grants will support the student volunteers and teacher advocates across this country working to save lives through CPR training and education.”
The American Heart Association is the global leader in resuscitation science and publishes the official CPR guidelines, with the latest update released October 22, 2025, in its journal Circulation. The Association's Nation of Lifesavers initiative aims to double survival rates from cardiac arrest by 2030. Walgreens is a national sponsor of the initiative. For more information, visit heart.org/nation or learn Hands-Only CPR at www.heart.org/HandsOnlyCPR.
