Letters to the editor

Published 1:30 am Friday, April 24, 2026

Schools should be teaching CPR

High school students are ready to learn CPR. Don’t leave us unprepared.

Over spring break, I visited Juneau to meet with lawmakers about Senate Bill 20, which would ensure Alaskan students learn Hands-Only CPR before they graduate from high school. It’s an important lifesaving bill, and it deserves to pass this session.

I have been advocating for heart health for five years through my Dance for Heart program and by volunteering for the American Heart Association, and during that time I’ve learned a lot about heart disease, stroke, and cardiac arrest. One fact that has stood out to me is that when someone experiences a cardiac arrest, their chance of survival depends on whether they receive help within the first few minutes. Sadly, less than 10% of people who have a cardiac arrest outside a hospital survive. Too often, it’s because no one nearby knows how to perform CPR.

Hands-Only CPR, or CPR without breaths, is simple to learn, and it takes just a few minutes of practice to feel prepared and confident. Schools already teach real life skills; learning how to perform CPR and how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED) should be one of those lessons.

By training high school students in the lifesaving skill of CPR, Alaska can create generations of community members who are prepared, willing, and motivated to help in an emergency. Senate Bill 20 will help save lives – our friends, family, and neighbors. We’re ready to learn.

Sara DeVolld

Soldotna