Berea Elementary School Receives CPR Training Grant

Students and staff at the Greenville school gain access to new life-saving training resources.

Updated on Oct. 26, 2026 in Heart Disease

A CPR training torso manikin sits on a wooden desk inside a clean, well-lit elementary school classroom. — Berea Elementary School in Greenville has received an American Heart Association CPR training kit to enhance emergency preparedness for students and staff. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Do you believe schools in your community are sufficiently prepared to handle student medical emergencies?

Berea Elementary School in Greenville recently received a CPR in Schools training kit from the American Heart Association. This grant provides essential resources to help prepare students and staff for cardiac emergencies.

Why it matters

Schools are critical environments for emergency preparedness, as more than 23,000 children in the United States experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital each year.

The American Heart Association grant provides resources for 3 schools in South Carolina out of the statewide population. The frequency of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests among U.S. children remains a public health concern, though specific local school readiness metrics are unknown.

The players

American Heart Association

A national nonprofit organization that funds cardiovascular medical research and educates consumers on healthy living and cardiac emergency response.

Berea Elementary School

An educational institution in Greenville, South Carolina, that is now equipped to provide CPR and first aid training to its community.

The details

The grant includes a reusable CPR in Schools kit designed to educate students, staff, and families on life-saving skills. This curriculum covers hands-only CPR, the use of automated external defibrillators, and basic first aid protocols. These resources are intended to ensure schools are equipped to respond quickly when cardiac events occur on campus or in the local community.

October 26, 2026: The American Heart Association officially awarded the grant to Berea Elementary School.

Health Landscape

The American Heart Association maintains the Kids Heart Challenge program to integrate cardiovascular health education into K-12 settings. This effort follows broader initiatives to increase bystander preparedness for cardiac emergencies by training younger populations in resuscitation techniques.

Families in the Greenville area may benefit from the school's new ability to host community training sessions on CPR and defibrillator use. If you are interested in emergency preparedness, consider asking your local school district about their current CPR training programs and available AED equipment.

The takeaway

Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, making basic first aid and CPR training essential skills for students and their families. Ask your physician about local classes in your community to ensure you are prepared to respond to a life-threatening cardiac event.