Migrant Summer Academy certifies students in CPR and AEDs

More than 60 students became certified in CPR and AEDs while attending this summer’s week-long Migrant Academy at Kofa High School that wrapped up Friday.

The summer academy, offered through the Yuma Union High School District, serves seasonal families and gives sophomores, juniors, and seniors from schools across the district a chance to have a start-to finish experience in one location, according to Kofa English teacher Tammy Foley.

Foley, along with Athletic Trainer and Career and Technical Education teacher Kathy Hoover, helped oversee this summer’s program.

More than 15 teachers involved in the academy integrated Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillator ( AED ) training and certification into a variety of lesson plans crossing into vocabulary, mathematics, biology, and technical training

This year 67 students participated, more than double from a year ago.

This was the fourth summer the academy took place at Kofa, with an essential question in mind, “How can we have more of our community CPR and AED trained to save lives?”

Students learned valuable classroom tools, such as effectively contributing to class discussions, advocate for themselves and ask questions, and exude confidence when speaking in front of groups of their peers.

“There was a realization that there are areas of our county that are under-served,” Foley said. “That hit home because it really showed the students that their knowledge is important and valuable and that they have a lifesaving skill.”