MIAMI, Florida -- A babysitting and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation class sponsored by the USAG-Miami Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation office and taught by the local Red Cross is giving local teenagers marketable skills and making homes safer.
Jorge Medina, a local Red Cross instructor, recently took ten students, 13 to 19-years-old, through a rigorous program designed to produce confident, capable babysitters who can be trusted to watch over the most precious thing military parents have.
The students learned how to get hired by conducting themselves professionally when being interviewed by nervous parents.
They also practiced a gamut of skills, from changing diapers, feeding, burping, and holding infants; to handling difficult toddlers and clearing blocked airways, providing rescue breathing and performing compressions to potentially save a life.
Nervous giggles turned into thoughtful expressions as the practice on infant and child-sized CPR dummies made a serious impression on the class.
The most important lesson in first aid' "Don't panic," said a student. "The best way to use your first aid skills is by preventing the situation from occurring in the first place."
At the end of the class the students were provided a package of 25 business cards printed by the Garrison to get them started; and a listing in the certified pool by the Child, Youth & School Services team.
"Partnering with the Red Cross in Miami strengthens our program by giving us resources to help our military families, it's a great example of the Community Covenant in action," said Ileana Gonzalez-Posada, Child Youth Services Coordinator.
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