In an emergency, a single action can change everything. DC3C students are learning how to be ready when those moments happen.
This past year, 26 high school students participating in DC3C programming earned CPR, AED, and First Aid certification through hands-on training led by DC3C staff. For many students, the experience became more than learning emergency response skills. It became a reminder that they are capable of stepping up, taking action, and helping others during critical moments.
One student described the training as “an amazing experience” and shared that they never realized they could actually save someone’s life someday. Another student said the certification made them “feel important” and inspired them to pursue a career in nursing to help save lives in the future.
Those moments are exactly why DC3C expanded its CPR and First Aid training opportunities in 2025 after three DC3C staff members became certified American Heart Association (AHA) CPR, AED, and First Aid Instructors. Since then, students participating in programs such as DC3C Summer Pathways and DC3C R.E.A.D.Y. Week have had the opportunity to earn lifesaving certifications while strengthening workforce readiness, leadership, and real-world skills.
Through these programs, students learned how to perform CPR, use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), respond to choking emergencies, and provide basic first aid.
And these crucial skills truly matter.
According to the American Heart Association, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of hospitals in the United States each year. Immediate CPR can double or even triple a person’s chance of survival. Nearly 70% of cardiac arrests happen at home, meaning the person most likely to save a life is often a family member, friend, coworker, or bystander.
For DC3C, this work is also about access and opportunity. Research has shown that Black and Hispanic individuals are less likely to receive bystander CPR during cardiac emergencies, while individuals with disabilities often face barriers to accessing lifesaving training opportunities.
Students with disabilities are too often underestimated, yet many of the students we work with at DC3C consistently show empathy, resilience, leadership, and a strong desire to help others. CPR, AED, and First Aid training provide students with an opportunity to channel those qualities into real-world action while gaining skills that can strengthen both their communities and future career pathways.
The CPR, AED, and First Aid certification can also help students prepare for future employment opportunities. Many careers in healthcare, childcare, recreation, hospitality, education, public safety, and community services require or strongly prefer CPR and First Aid certification.
At DC3C, we believe preparing students for the future is not only about helping them find careers. It is also about helping them recognize their value, leadership, and ability to make a difference in others’ lives. Because someday, during someone’s worst moment, one of our students may have the knowledge, confidence, and courage to help save a life.
We look forward to continuing to offer CPR, AED, and First Aid training opportunities to students across our DC3C member schools and LEAs throughout 2026, including through our DC3C Summer Pathways 2026 Summer Employment Program.
For more information about CPR, AED, and First Aid certification opportunities through DC3C, please contact Erika Thomas, Director of Workforce Readiness, at ethomas@specialedcoop.org.