The 13th year of McHenry Community High School’s CPR and AED training for students brought all good things as the high school saw an increase in students learning the skills to save lives.
In April, physical education teachers celebrated the 188 students who completed the American Heart Association HeartSaver K-12 and passed the skills test in 2026. That was a 20% increase over 2025, and brings the total number of students trained in 13 years to 2,347.
The school offers the training in partnership with Northwestern Medicine. Hospital officials were also on hand to congratulate students during the April 2 ceremony.
Elizabeth DePouw, McHenry and Western Lake County EMS system coordinator for Northwestern Medicine, told students that starting CPR before paramedics arrive can double or triple the chance of survival for someone experiencing cardiac arrest.
"You now have the power and the confidence to help,” DePouw said.
State law passed in 2014 requires high schools to offer accredited CPR and AED training. The American Heart Association HeartSaver K-12 program is four hours and includes hands-on training and a skills test. Physical education teachers provided heart cookies to students who completed the training.
