Third Annual CPR Miami Day Draws 1,000+ Participants at Nine M-DCPS Schools

This past Saturday, Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) hosted the Third Annual CPR Day Miami at nine schools, where more than 1000 participants of all ages learned to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on adults and infants. Recognizing that 70% of Americans have no CPR training, M-DCPS sought to improve that statistic as four times as many people were certified this year, compared to last year.

“CPR Day Miami is a community outreach initiative that is very important to us,” said Schools Superintendent Dr. Jose L. Dotres. “What we would like to envision in the future is that as our students graduate, they do so with their CPR certification.” 

Nine school sites offered 3.5 hour CPR/AED certification sessions for $22, providing community members with an accessible opportunity to learn lifesaving skills. A total of 643 participants completed the training—an impressive increase compared to 148 last year. These sessions included hands-on instruction in performing CPR on adults and infants, administering abdominal thrusts during choking emergencies, and safely using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to help revive someone whose heart has stopped.

The success of these sessions was made possible through extensive instructional support, including M-DCPS educators, Schools Police officers, healthcare partners, and trained community volunteers who ensured participants received accurate, high-quality, confidence-building instruction. Their collective expertise created a supportive learning environment where individuals of all ages could practice skills, ask questions, and build the readiness necessary to respond during real emergencies.

This initiative reflects MDCPS’s steadfast commitment to Excellence, Choice, Innovation, and Safety, four guiding anchors designed to empower families, strengthen communities, and ensure every student thrives.

“We’re trying to build a nation of lifesavers, which means that at least one person in every household knows the steps to CPR,” said Robert Hill, the American Heart Association’s Vice-President of Community Impact. “To have an entity like Miami-Dade County Public Schools, one that intentionally brings people and communities together, speaks to how powerful coming together to save lives is.”

M-DCPS partnered with the American Heart Association, Cigna Healthcare, Share Your Heart, YMCA of South Florida, and Jackson Health Systems to make CPR Day Miami 2026 a reality. Nicklaus Children’s Hospital provided free EKGs. 

Student participant practicing infant CPR compressions at Ponce De Leon Middle School.

 “It was an amazing day at Ponce de Leon Middle School, where we celebrated CPR Day,” said Rojas. “Saturday, we had nine M-DCPS locations throughout the county that offered the opportunity for parents, teachers, principals, and students, members of our entire community, to participate in special training where they were certified so they can one day save somebody’s life.”

Dr. Dotres and School Board Chair Mari Tere Rojas reviewed the CPR classes and certification sessions at Ponce de Leon Middle School and were joined by school Principal Angela Gonzalez and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Linda Amica-Roberts, who leads the M-DCPS Office of Community Partnerships, Education and Business Access, which produced the event. 

“I’m learning how to care for and teach young children at my high school,” said Yunaisy West, a junior at Coral Gables Senior High School, who took the class with her mother. “I wanted to get CPR training so that I can save lives, not just in my training with children but also because I have a lot of cousins and family members who could benefit.”

Additionally, 45-minute training sessions, attended by 423 participants, were available at Barbara Goleman Senior High Schools, Coral Reef Senior High School and Ponce de Leon Middle School, and provided hands-only CPR training with basic instruction on how to respond to cardiac emergencies involving infants, children and adults.

These three school sites also hosted Health and Wellness Fairs in collaboration with community partners and District departments. The fairs provided families with access to a variety of free services, including biometric screenings, blood pressure and cholesterol checks, EKGs for children under 18, blood drives, and food distribution—offering valuable resources to support overall family well-being.

Events like CPR Day Miami demonstrate why M-DCPS is your best choice for world-class education and community impact.

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TOP CAPTION: CPR Miami Day Participant at Ponce de Leon Middle School, learning CPR compressions from her instructor.