www.getlifesmart.ca

Unintentional injury is the leading cause of death and disability among youth today.  By equipping students with the essential life skills that come with first aid and CPR training, St. John Ambulance Youth Programs seek to challenge the number of such incidents and, in doing so, make both our schools and communities safer environments.

St. John Ambulance has a vision of having one person in every Nova Scotia household to be trained in first aid and CPR. Since each Youth Program participant is also a member of a family and larger geographical/social community, our programs have the potential to reach thousands of Nova Scotians.

The LifeSmart Program

The LifeSmart Program is an innovative and comprehensive first aid program designed to reach high school students throughout Nova Scotia. The first and only program of its kind in Canada, LifeSmart is a collaborative effort between St. John Ambulance NS/PEI and the NS Department of Education. The program enables teachers to bring valuable first aid and CPR training into the classroom by providing them the opportunity to become nationally certified St. John Ambulance Instructors.

LifeSmart Is:

Free-of Charge: St. John Ambulance provides all equipment and instructional materials required for course implementation . Teachers also become certified first aid instructors at no cost to themselves.

Flexible: Once certified, teachers enjoy the flexibility to deliver various levels and types of first aid training to students as they deem appropriate, and is able to fit within curriculum time constraints. Many schools choose to offer LifeSmart through their Physical Active Lifestyles 11/ Career and Life Management 11 courses.

Effective: Studies show that St. John Ambulance training programs result in a reduction in medical emergencies among those trained.

Student Benefits include:

• Employment: first aid and safety training in the workplace is required by law, therefore employers need staff trained in first aid. You can get ahead of the game, and stand out from the crowd when trained in the skills employers require.
• Portfolio Skill: the LifeSmart program provides the valuable skills and a certificate that you can add to your personal portfolio.
• It is Easy: the program consists of hands-on training, minimum study time, and can fit into your busy  course schedule.
• It is useful: the program teaches you the first aid skills to save lives and gives you the confidence to react in situations in which seconds count!

Boy Scouts & Girl Guides Partnership

St. John Ambulance is commited to supporting youth programs that give young people an opportunity to learn life saving skills. A partnership formed with the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides of Nova scotia, in which SJA provides first aid training free-of-charge, will help us reach a larger number of youth in our communities.

St. John Ambulance Health & Safety Awards:
Two troops from both the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides will have an annual opportunity to win a $500 award for the troop that exhibits outstanding dedication to health and safety through first aid training and other related activities.