TOWSON, MD—A partnership between the Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Health and Physical Education and the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center will launch an injury prevention education initiative for BCPS health teachers and students.

Staff from the BCPS offices of health education and health services and the Shock Trauma Center have developed a skills-based lesson plan that integrates components of the national Stop the Bleed® training program. Stop the Bleed® empowers individuals to take immediate action to control severe bleeding in emergency situations. The BCPS/Shock Trauma lesson will be taught by trained health educators as part of the high school health education curricular program.

The Shock Trauma Center has secured grant funding from Baltimore County government to provide each BCPS high school with two Stop the Bleed® training kits by the start of next school year.

“These kits are a crucial resource that will provide our students with the training supplies needed to learn various bleeding control skills,” said Kirsten Roller, BCPS supervisor of health education.

Added Karen Heinrich, BCPS facilitator of health services, “This partnership marks a significant step toward enhancing safety awareness within the educational community and expanding upon safety practices already in place, which includes Stop the Bleed® training for all school nurses, health assistants, and any additional interested staff members, and up to four Stop the Bleed® kits in every BCPS school.”

On Friday, February 9, 2024, staff from Shock Trauma will conduct a training session at Cockeysville Middle School for approximately 100 high school health teachers. The objective is to equip these educators with the knowledge and skills necessary to implement the bleeding control lesson plan effectively with their students. During the spring semester, staff from Shock Trauma will co-teach the BCPS lesson with trained BCPS health teachers at eight high schools.

“This collaboration aims to refine the lesson and gather valuable feedback from teachers and students in preparation for a system-wide implementation next school year,” said Roller.

She continued, “We believe that this partnership and the resulting lesson integration will make a significant impact on student safety and preparedness within our district. A key element of this partnership is the emphasis on real-time practice and feedback, recognizing its paramount importance in building students’ efficacy as active bystanders in situations where bleeding control is necessary. By providing hands-on experiences and immediate feedback from our trained teachers and Shock Trauma staff, we empower our students to translate their learning into real-world scenarios, honing their ability to respond proactively and effectively in critical situations.”