Plastic mannequins lay on the floors and tables as students showcased their chest compressions at the Middle Tennessee Council on Family Relations’ professional development event for students on Saturday. The experience included CPR and first aid training, allowing students to gain hands-on experience in order to prepare for their careers. 

The MTCFR is an organization that provides many opportunities not only to human development and family science majors, but also to anyone in the social sciences. They are currently expanding their reach to more students as they transition from the Ellington Human Sciences Center to the College of Education. 

Rebecca Oldham, the faculty advisor for the MTCFR, hosted the training with Ian Weir, a certified instructor for the American Heart Association. 

“CPR and first aid are something that is really relevant in the field,” Oldham said. “We felt that if we could get [students] a certification, it would help them be more competitive for jobs as they leave school.” 

The training lasted three hours and included instruction on CPR, first aid and the use of automated external defibrillators. The class not only provided students with knowledge of administering first aid, but also offered hands-on opportunities by performing CPR on mannequins designed for these training sessions. 

Weir’s spouse, a faculty member for the MTCFR-affiliated human development and family science major, informed him about the class. He has trained various organizations and volunteer groups for some time, primarily to help others learn and get certified.

“I like to always say the more people that can be trained, the better the world is,” Weir said. “Empowering people to get the confidence to handle a situation, handle it well and increase the chances of survival.” 

The training was organized to enable HDFS students and others to acquire hands-on skills. The HDFS major prepares students to become advocates for children, families and seniors in all areas of the workplace. 

Abree Theriot, an HDFS major who attended the training, said she was drawn to it because she works with children every day. Working in her field, she frequently receives questions about whether she is CPR certified.

“You need to be prepared so that you know what to do and how to do it correctly to potentially save somebody’s life,” Theriot said.

The organization hosts events throughout the year in four key areas: professional development, social events, community service, and fundraising. They are currently working with the Child Advocacy Center to raise funds so that the center can expand.