Grant supports 'Guys Save Live' outreach

Franklin County middle and high school male students — in grades seven through 10 — learned potentially life-saving CPR skills last week and got an introduction to a wide-range of career options in the healthcare sector during the inaugural “Guys Save Lives” outreach event.

Offered in conjunction with the Franklin County Career and Technical Center’s Health Sciences program and financially supported through a state-approved $3,000 Career and Technical Education non-traditional grant, the initiative’s goals were exceeded with a high level of student and community participation, according to Leigh Ann Bein, who serves as FCCTC’s Student Services coordinator.

“One of the issues we’ve faced is male participation in our Health Sciences program is very low — on average less than 5 percent — and we’re always looking for ways to broaden and diversify student enrollment in this program,” Bein said.

“There’s a great demand for healthcare workers across the country, and there’s also great opportunities for both males and females from here to be part of that trend.”

Bein successfully applied for the CTE grant that was used to purchase additional life-size mannequins for the local Health Sciences class, and second-year participants in the program, who are already CPR certified, worked with close to 100 students on Tuesday and Wednesday to teach hands-on lessons that could save the lives of those suffering from cardiac-distress situations.

“The funding can be used to host programs like this that serve to attract non-traditional students into CTE courses,” she continued. “We felt like this would be a great way to introduce some of what our Health Sciences class does to encourage those possibly seeking a career path in the medical field to be part of the course. In Health Sciences, males are truly the underpopulated area.”

In regards to enrollment trends during the previous academic year, Bein said FCCTC had one male Health Sciences student and, during the current school term, there are two participants in the program. She noted the long-term goal is to grow male enrollment to at least 33 percent over the course of the two-year class curriculum.

“The middle and high school students that were with us over the two days of the CPR program are those who can choose to be part of this class at FCCTC at some point prior to graduation,” she added.

Bein said another point that was driven home last week was that there are males in the healthcare profession in and around Franklin County — demonstrated by the male nurses, doctors, emergency medical technicians and first responders that came to help oversee and evaluate the CPR training event.

“We had representatives from Franklin County Memorial Hospital, Rural Rapid Response and Copiah-Lincoln Community College’s Workforce Training program who talked to all our male students about career opportunities and choices in the profession,” she went on to say. “These students had the chance to talk and interact with these professionals, too, and it made a real impact and drove home the point that men do work in these kinds of jobs.”

FCCTC Director Terry Moffett praised last week’s events as thinking outside the box when it comes to demonstrating career opportunities students might not have been aware of or helping nudge those uncertain about their futures toward a fulfilling professional path.

“Our Career and Technical Center plays an important role in helping Franklin County students get a leg-up on future careers through our specialized courses, interaction with those already in the fields and hands-on training,” Moffett said. “After this program, I’m sure we’ve given a lot of these middle and high schoolers something to think about and they will hopefully join our Health Sciences class or other programs.”

Health Sciences instructor Angie Kent said Bein’s efforts to get the CTE grant and in coordinating last week’s CPR program were time well spent in not only building interest in her class, but also sharing skills that will put life-saving abilities in the hands of students who might be called upon to help a family member or neighbor in a medical crisis.

“Obviously, this was primarily a way to get guys to consider the field, and because we live in a rural area, the CPR training was something practical that they can use,” Kent noted. “For example, if you live at the end of Bunkley Road, it could take time for an ambulance to get to your location. Having CPR training is something that can help the students save a life because every minute counts when someone needs help.

“We hope none of these students will ever have to use what they’ve learned, but, if they do, they will know how to respond. It’s fun to see guys participating and my second-year students, who are CPR-certified, sharing these valuable skills in conjunction with what they have learned. Everyone involved has done an excellent job and I could not be more proud of what we’ve all been able to accomplish over these two days.”

In addition, Kent pointed out the FCCTC’s Health Sciences program has taken on more of a workplace-development focus with students going to the hospital in Meadville on Thursdays where they spend around 90 minutes shadowing staffers on the job and getting a feel for what it is like to work in the healthcare profession.

“Our goal is to develop and promote a real-world feel for our students, and partnering with the hospital is a great way to show what it takes to be part of this important environment,” she added.

The CPR — short for cardiopulmonary resuscitation — course taught students the chest compression and mouth-to-mouth breathing procedures to be taken when an individual’s heart has stopped beating. Kent said immediate CPR can double or triple the chances of survival after cardiac arrest because it keeps the blood flow active until trained medical professional can respond to provide critical care.

Additionally, students were introduced to automated external defibrillator (AED) technology and the life-saving potential for the devices.

Bein previously worked on and successfully received $3,000 in CTE non-traditional grant funding in 2020 to promote female student participation in FCCTC’s robotics and engineering courses while encouraging more involvement in STEM-centered activities and classes.

In that outreach, materials were purchased with the funds to race carbon dioxide-powered model vehicles as a means of providing first-hand science experience for female middle school students through a scaled-down version of drag racing.

Bein said a new round of non-traditional grant funds has recently been announced by the state and that she would be looking at applying for new dollars to demonstrate educational opportunities and potential career paths that can be fostered through the FCCTC.