T.H. Chan School of Medicine students are training Worcester students in hands-only CPR as part of a collaborative learning pilot program between the Manny 267 Foundation, Worcester Public Schools and UMass Chan Medical School.
More than 300 students at North High School received training on Jan. 12 from 50 second-year medical students, residents and faculty, and Worcester Police officers.
“If you can help a friend or a family member, that can be lifesaving and this training is an additional effort to keeping our community safe,” said Elizabeth Hurley, health and physical education liaison for Worcester Public Schools. “I really appreciate that high school students were willing to try this, and it looked like they had a lot of fun and definitely took some skills away from the training.”
Medical students Erin Hurley, Kendall Lavin-Parsons and Katharine Playter led the day-long training program. They also helped organize the Water Safe Worcester program at the YMCA Central Community Branch last summer with free water safety lessons provided by UMass Chan students and faculty.
“If you can help a friend or a family member, that can be lifesaving and this training is an additional effort to keeping our community safe."
“The kids were really interested in getting involved and asking questions and wanted to do CPR correctly, which is awesome to see,” Lavin-Parsons said. “They’re enjoying interacting with med students and seem to have interest in the health care field. That’s another big part of this effort. We’re also hoping to get these kids interested in the health care profession.”
Students also heard from Elvin Familia, president of the Manny 267 Foundation and brother of Worcester Police Officer Enmanuel “Manny” Familia, who drowned at Green Hill Park in June 2021 trying to save 14-year-old Troy Love.
“Coming into the public schools to teach hands-only CPR with UMass Chan students is the best partnership we could ask for. The medical students were hands on right away and willing to volunteer,” Familia said. “We want to do the training in every public high school in Worcester. This is a pilot program and it’s been amazing. We will learn a lot so we can be ready to jump to the next school.”
The medical students and the Manny 267 Foundation plan to return to North High next quarter to train more students. The long-term goal of the program is to expand it across the Worcester school district.
Related media coverage:
Spectrum News 1: UMass Chan Medical School students bring CPR training to North High School
Worcester Telegram & Gazette: CPR: Lesson for Life at North High in Worcester
