The American Heart Association has awarded 32 Nation of Lifesaver financial grants to Heart Clubs at high schools and colleges across 20 states, including the District of Columbia, to expand CPR training and improve cardiac emergency preparedness on campuses. The grants, announced March 26, 2026, are part of the Association's goal to double survival rates from cardiac arrest by 2030. According to American Heart Association data, 9 out of 10 people who experience cardiac arrest outside a hospital die, often because they do not receive immediate CPR more than half of the time.
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 a community impact. Since the 2024-2025 school year, more than 250 such clubs have formed nationwide. The grants will provide resources for CPR training, including CPR in Schools Kits with manikins and training materials, and funding to facilitate training sessions.
For college recipients, the Nation of Lifesaver grants include two CPR in Schools Kits and $500 to support CPR training on campus. High school grants will fund the development of a Cardiac Emergency Response Plan, provide card-credentialed CPR, First Aid, and AED training for students and faculty, raise awareness with CPR in Schools Kits, and advocate for public policies to make schools safer.
“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. “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 Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., FAHA, volunteer president of the American Heart Association and senior vice president of women’s health and executive director of the Katz Institute for Women’s Health of Northwell Health. “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 worldwide leader in resuscitation science and publishes the official guidelines for CPR, with the latest guidelines released October 22, 2025, in its journal Circulation. The Nation of Lifesavers initiative aims to turn bystanders into lifesavers by ensuring anyone is prepared to perform CPR. Walgreens is a national sponsor of the initiative. The grants were awarded to 33 schools, including the University of Rhode Island, Howard University, Cornell University, Purdue University, Spelman College, and high schools such as Clara Barton High School in Brooklyn and Belen Jesuit Preparatory School in Miami.
By providing these resources, the American Heart Association seeks to empower students and educators to act in cardiac emergencies, ultimately saving lives and creating safer campus environments.
