Teaching students relevant learning experiences can do so much
Kern Youth @ Work is the career and technical education branch of Alternative Education for the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office. Our schools serve some of the most at-risk and disenfranchised students in Kern County.
That being said, KY@W staff regularly enjoy the privilege of witnessing how access to job training, career readiness instruction and support and providing industry certifications can lead to generational change for our students.
Over the past couple of years, KY@W has partnered with Bakersfield College to offer CPR and first aid certification in our schools.
BC’s Health Sciences Department generously provides all consumable supplies necessary for the training and funds the cost of issuing the certifica
tion cards.
Last year alone, our instructor, Erin Nixon, was able to certify 104 students in Heartsaver CPR and 45 in Heartsaver First Aid.
Nixon is a former nursing instructor for BC and, as KY@W’s CTE Medical Pathway teacher, is key to helping students prepare for the rigors of post-secondary work in the health sciences.
This spring we were again reminded just how life changing access to CPR certification training can be for youth enrolled in our programs.
Nixon provides these classes regularly in all of the residential court facilities served by KCSOS. One of her students, Samajay, earned his CPR card at one of these facilities and later transitioned to KCSOS’ Bridges Academy. Bridges provides formerly incarcerated youth the opportunity to finish their high school requirements and receive job training, mental health counseling and other supports.
While being transported to school one morning, another student collapsed inside the van shortly after entering.
Without hesitation, Samajay pulled the unconscious student outside to the sidewalk and began performing CPR while someone called 911. By the time the EMTs arrived, his classmate had regained consciousness!
When questioned by the technician, the now coherent youth indicated there was another boy in the home who may also be at risk from a drug reaction.
When checked, a second boy was found unconscious and was transported to the hospital, where he also recovered.
Thanks to the training provided through BC’s sponsorship of our program, our student was able to directly save one life and indirectly save another.
Collaborative partnerships like this add immeasurable value to the educational experience we are able to offer and help to prepare our learners for success beyond high school. BC continues to support multiple KCSOS CTE programs including construction, culinary/food science/hospitality, education/child development and entrepreneurship, in addition to health sciences.
We at KCSOS Alternative Education appreciate the creative approach by so many departments at the college to ensure our students have access to high-quality, project-based and relevant learning experiences that will help direct them to successful employment in the future.