SOS First Aid was invited back again in 2016 to train 100 students from the Focus on Youth program at Sir John A. MacDonald High School in Hamilton, Ontario. This is our sixth year and every year our instructors love teaching this highly interactive basic first aid program to this group of keen students.
It is a busy day for students and instructors. There are eight first aid stations set up covering:- Check, call, care
- First aid kit and wound care
- Bone, muscle, joint injuries
- Conscious choking (adult and child)
- Anaphylaxis and asthma
- Heat and cold-related emergencies
- Head injuries
- Seizures and diabetes
Students are divided into 8 groups. The groups rotate through 8 stations covering the above first aid topic and along the way, they have a number of activities and challenges to complete. A variety of learning resources including videos, digital media, props, first aid kits, competitive games and hands on practice are used to help make the learning experience fun and engaging. At the end of the session students receive a certificate of completion and are equipped with a first aid booklet, knowledge and skills should a first aid situation arise during the course of their jobs as summer camp counselors.
Focus on Youth is a very special and beneficial program. Every summer since 2008, Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board has partnered with not-for-profit groups through the Focus on Youth program to support them in delivering free or low cost summer programs and activities that keep young people safe and active.
Programs and activities are focused on:
- literacy and numeracy
- sports and recreation
- culture and the arts
- leadership development and mentorship
- programs targeted at meeting the needs of specific populations (e.g. newcomer children, street-involved and homeless youth)
The goal of the Focus on Youth program is to enhance high quality summer program opportunities for children and youth throughout Hamilton by:
- offering free use of school space for organized, community-based programs
- improving the quality of life for children and youth in high and moderate needs communities who otherwise would have limited access to organized summer programming
- providing employment opportunities for youth in Hamilton with a focus on hiring and supporting the employment experiences of “at-risk” youth
- providing leadership training and learning opportunities for youth employed within the program
- strengthening collaborative efforts with community partners to build capacity to support children, youth and families in our high and moderate needs school neighbourhoods
- providing as many free program opportunities as possible for children and youth in Hamilton
