As seniors begin the final quarter of their high school career, there is one requirement they all need to fulfill in order to graduate, according to CPR instructor Rich Keith.

“All seniors have to be trained (in CPR),” Keith said. “The Department of Education requires all seniors in the state of Minnesota to be trained before they graduate.”

According to Keith, there are three assignments on the CPR Schoology account that seniors need to complete in order to be officially trained in CPR.

“There are videos and a set of questions after and then they sign up for a one day or one period training with me,” Keith said.

Senior Ethan Rickert said the CPR assignments are not challenging to complete.

“You watch three or four videos on Schoology and then take a test that corresponds with it. Basically it’s like three or four really easy tests,” Rickert said. “It takes like an hour or two.”

The training, which began four years ago, is not a stand-alone course, so students determine when they finish the final assignment, according to Keith.

“There is a sign-up genius page and they sign up for a slot (for training). Each slot allows six people,” Keith said. “We do it first period and any one of the three lunch periods.”

Senior Chava Buchbinder said she feels everyone should have basic CPR training and hopes to become certified.

“I think that it is really important for people like in the general public to be aware of how to do CPR training because that can save someone’s life in the moment before people have a change to come in and save the person,” Buchbinder said.

According to Keith, while CPR certification is not a graduation requirement, students have the opportunity to be certified through the program.

“We offer it as an accessory, meaning it is not a requirement but if a kid wants to be certified, they would come back and add a second day for the certification,” Keith said.

Keith said the students are not the only ones that need to undergo CPR training.   

“I have to go to training and get certified myself to be an instructor and so on and so forth,” Keith said.

Rickert said the training included in the course at Park will be beneficial in future working environments.

“Personally, since the field that I’m going into for theater is work intensive, if anyone drops unconscious, it will be helpful if I knew how to do CPR or rescue breathing or anything like that until the paramedics show up,” Rickert said.