The American Heart Association has awarded 32 Nation of Lifesaver financial grants to American Heart Association Heart Clubs at high schools and colleges in 20 states, including the District of Columbia. According to American Heart Association data, 9 out of every 10 people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die, in part because they do not receive immediate CPR more than half of the time. These grants aim to make it easier for students and educators to learn CPR and strengthen the Association's nationwide movement to double survival rates from cardiac arrest by 2030.
American Heart Association 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 meaningful impact in their communities. Started in the 2024-2025 school year, there are now more than 250 of these student-led groups across the U.S. The following schools will receive Nation of Lifesavers grants: University of Rhode Island, Washington and Lee University, Howard University, Villanova University, Cornell University, Case Western Reserve University, University of Michigan, Purdue University, Fisk University, Spelman College, Tuskegee University, Grambling State University, The University of Texas at Austin, California State University, Fresno, Molloy University, Hampshire Regional High School, Clara Barton High School for Health Professions, Locust Valley High School, The Ursuline School, Bayside High School, George Washington High School, Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, Samuel Wolfson School for Advanced Studies, Alliance Academy for Innovation, Pope Saint John Paul II Preparatory School, Pflugerville High School, TCC SE Mansfield ISD Early College High School at Timberview, Davis Senior High School, Mt. Carmel High School, Newark Memorial High School, Ruben S. Ayala High School, Vanden High School, and West Career and Technical Academy.
“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. “Once people knew what was happening, their training kicked in. 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.”
For colleges, the Nation of Lifesaver grants include funding for two CPR in Schools Kits, complete with manikins and training materials, and $500 to facilitate CPR training on campus. For high schools, the grants will help create safer school environments by providing funding to develop a Cardiac Emergency Response Plan, provide card-credentialed CPR First Aid AED training, raise awareness with CPR in Schools Kits, and advocate for public policies that make schools safer.
The American Heart Association is the worldwide leader in resuscitation science, education and training, and publishes the official scientific guidelines for CPR. The latest CPR clinical guidelines were published October 22, 2025 in the Association's flagship journal, Circulation. The Association's Nation of Lifesavers initiative is committed to turning a nation of bystanders into lifesavers. The long-term goal is to ensure that in the face of a cardiac emergency, anyone, anywhere, is prepared and empowered to perform CPR and become a vital link in the chain of survival. Walgreens is a proud national sponsor of Nation of Lifesavers.
