The American Heart Association has awarded 33 Nation of Lifesavers grants to high schools and colleges across 20 states, including the District of Columbia, to expand CPR training and create safer campus environments. According to American Heart Association data, 9 out of every 10 people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die, with more than half not receiving immediate CPR. These grants support the Association's nationwide movement to double survival rates from cardiac arrest by 2030.
The grants were awarded to American Heart Association Heart Clubs, which 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 student-led groups across the United States. The initiative represents a strategic approach to building community resilience through education and preparedness.
For colleges, the Nation of Lifesaver grants include funding for two CPR in Schools Kits with manikins and training materials, plus $500 to facilitate CPR training on campus. These resources give Heart Club leaders everything they need to promote the lifesaving skill of CPR to students and faculty. For high schools, the grants provide funding to develop Cardiac Emergency Response Plans for individual schools, offer 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 impact of such preparedness was demonstrated in November 2025 when Francesco Allocca experienced sudden cardiac arrest during basketball tryouts at Locust Valley High School in New York. "When my son's heart stopped, his coaches knew exactly what to do and jumped into action," said Pia Scarfo Allocca, Francesco's mother. "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." 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 American Heart Association is the worldwide leader in resuscitation science, education and training, and publishes the official scientific guidelines for CPR. The latest CPR clinical guidelines were published October 22, 2025 in the Association's flagship journal, Circulation. The Association encourages broader public education through resources available at https://www.heart.org/nation and https://www.heart.org/HandsOnlyCPR, where individuals can learn CPR techniques in approximately 90 seconds. Walgreens serves as a proud national sponsor of the Nation of Lifesavers program, supporting the expansion of these critical lifesaving skills across communities.
