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 improve CPR training and campus safety. According to the Association, 9 out of 10 people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die, often because they do not receive immediate CPR. These grants aim to address that gap by empowering student-led Heart Clubs to train their peers and staff in lifesaving skills.
The grants support the Association's goal to double survival rates from cardiac arrest by 2030. Heart Clubs, which started in the 2024-2025 school year, now have over 250 chapters across the U.S. Recipient colleges include the University of Rhode Island, Howard University, Villanova University, Cornell University, and the University of Michigan, among others. High schools receiving grants span from Massachusetts to California, including Locust Valley High School in New York, where a student survived cardiac arrest thanks to trained coaches.
Pia Scarfo Allocca, mother of Francesco Allocca, who experienced sudden cardiac arrest at basketball tryouts in November 2025, emphasized the importance of preparedness: “When my son's heart stopped, his coaches knew exactly what to do and jumped into action. But not everyone is that lucky. My son is alive because his school was prepared.”
Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., volunteer president of the American Heart Association, stated, “These Heart Club grants will support the student volunteers and teacher advocates across this country working to save lives through CPR training and education.”
For colleges, the grants include funding for two CPR in Schools Kits, complete with manikins and training materials, and $500 to facilitate CPR training. High schools will receive funding to develop a Cardiac Emergency Response Plan, provide card-credentialed CPR First Aid AED training, raise awareness with CPR kits, and advocate for safer school policies.
The American Heart Association is the worldwide leader in resuscitation science, education and training, and publishes the official scientific guidelines for CPR. The latest guidelines were published October 22, 2025 in the Association's flagship journal, Circulation. The Nation of Lifesavers initiative aims to ensure that anyone, anywhere is prepared to perform CPR. Walgreens is a proud national sponsor of the initiative.
