AARC Project Sends Respiratory Therapists to School
Kids don’t dream about growing up to be something they know nothing about. And that’s been the lot of the respiratory therapist: A great job, great people, great rewards—but a low profile.
AARC hopes you can change that with a little help from us. This project is about reaching kids where they learn, in an environment where they are growing and contemplating their future lives and careers. It's about captivating them with the sights, the sounds and the excitement of a job in respiratory therapy.
The High School Career Project is an idea that you take and implement. The High School Career Project encourages you to visit kids in their classrooms and schools. By engaging the teachers and administrators who hold the key to high school kids with an interest in health, you can make a presentation to a class or a school and teach them about good respiratory care—and the rewards of being a respiratory therapist.
Why participate?
It’s everyone’s job to advance the awareness of respiratory therapists and get kids interested in respiratory therapy as a career. That means, it’s your job to be an ambassador for the profession.
How do I do this?
We give you a step-by-step guide for planning such an activity. We hope you’ll work from the bottom up to encourage your state society to adopt this as a project and work to cover every high school in your state this year.
What do I need?
A slide presentation perhaps (we share ours here if you like), some demonstrable activities—an intubation manikin, a resusciator bag, and an entre to the school.
How do I proceed?
Watch the video of the model presentation we delivered at a high school here in the Irving, Texas area. The video begins with interviews from the school officials, students and respiratory therapists who presented this activity. Stay tuned and watch the entire program and how it was presented to the students at Irving High School.
What do I do now?
- Watch the video
Get a feel for how this program would be carried out in your local school by viewing this video. Choose a version below:- Download the planning guide
Instructions are included in the planning guide for planning your own local activity.- Use the Power Point
Feel free to use this slide show (in compressed .ZIP format) developed by AARC presenter.Supported with an educational grant from Cardinal Health.
