Every high schooler should know how to save a life before graduation. According to CPR Certification Oklahoma City, over 40 states in the United States require high school students to learn CPR as a graduation requirement; however, Massachusetts is not one of them. We need to work on changing this and making it a graduation requirement.
CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) is a basic, hands-on skill that bridges the gap between life and death during an emergency. When an individual is under cardiac arrest, their heart stops beating and blood flow to the brain and body stops. CPR keeps blood circulating by pumping the heart with chest compressions, which helps deliver oxygen to organs until further help arrives. Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are not required to perform CPR but can improve survival chances because they deliver an electric shock that can restart a stopped heart. More than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the United States each year, and about 90% of those people don’t survive, according to the American Heart Association. Immediate CPR can double or even triple a person’s chance of survival. If more students were taught CPR, these statistics would go down and our generation would be equipped with tools that are vital in emergencies.
Unfortunately, more than a year ago, my dad’s best friend died due to cardiac arrest. He was on vacation in Florida when it happened, and had just come back from dinner with his wife and some friends. Suddenly, he collapsed and was under sudden cardiac arrest. A few bystanders rushed over, but no one knew CPR. Emergency responders did arrive, but it was too late. According to the American Red Cross, for every minute that passes without CPR, the chance of survival drops by 10%, and emergency responders typically take eight minutes or more to survive, making the first few minutes crucial. That loss hit our family hard, and stories like this remind me that CPR is something that truly matters and makes a difference in people’s lives. If we had more CPR-certified students, we would have more potential lifesavers in the stands of sporting events, public transit, in parks- everywhere.
Students are extremely busy, whether that is studying for a math test or practicing for their next sports game. Many students may not be motivated to get CPR certified because they might think it is time-consuming. This is not the case. Most CPR courses offer a blended learning format, which means part of the training is online and part is done in person. For example, the American Heart Association’s “Heartsaver CPR AED course” course includes a 1-1.5 hour online course, which students can complete in their own time. After completing the online part, students attend an in-person skills session that usually lasts 1 to 2 hours. During this time, they practice chest compressions and rescue breaths on a manikin, while also learning how to properly use an AED. The total time is around 2.5 to 3 hours, which is not extremely time consuming considering that it equips you with the skills needed to save someone’s life.
As of 2025, Massachusetts is considering legislative efforts to enhance CPR education in high schools. House Bill H.556, the CPR and AED Education for All Act, aims to mandate instruction in CPR and the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) as a graduation requirement for students across the state. This bill was introduced by Representative Carol A. Doherty and is under review. Students can write letters or emails to state legislators, expressing why CPR training matters to them personally. Students can also share their stories on social media or speak out at school committee meetings to advocate for this bill. If more students are involved, this would center more attention on this bill.
Although making CPR a graduation requirement would not directly affect Dana Hall since we are an independent school, that does not mean that we should not work toward getting more students CPR certified and incorporating it into our program. I believe that freshman year would be a great time to encourage students to get certified. In Skills 9, teachers can connect with local CPR instructors or organizations like the American Heart Association to bring in a short certification course. It can be introduced in Skills 9, and an instructor can come in after school or on the weekend to instruct students on CPR. We have the chance to lead by example and take action before an emergency ever happens.