A young responder is a child or adolescent who has been taught fundamental life-saving skills such as recognizing an emergency, calling for help, and performing CPR. Programs that train young responders aim to build confidence and competence early, expanding the pool of people capable of acting in a crisis.

Teaching these skills to young people increases the likelihood that bystander CPR will be performed when cardiac arrest occurs, since trained individuals are more willing and able to step in. Age-appropriate instruction focuses on simple, memorable steps — checking responsiveness, calling emergency services, pushing hard and fast on the chest, and getting an AED — that even young responders can carry out effectively.

CPR Certification Labs provides hands-on, American Heart Association–aligned CPR, BLS, ACLS, and PALS certification training to help providers master these life-saving skills.