Empowering the next Generation: An innovative “Kids Save Lives” blended learning programme for schoolchildren training

Guidelines recommend teaching resuscitation from school age; however, little is known about the best methods to provide it. We devised a blended learning program for primary and secondary students (Kids Save Lives – KSL) consisting of brief lectures, practical training with mannequins, and virtual reality. We aimed to evaluate its impact on students’ attitudes towards intervening during cardiac arrest and their knowledge about basic life support. This observational, prospective, before-and-after study assessed attitudes and basic life support knowledge in primary and secondary school children exposed to the KSL program. 20 events were conducted in the metropolitan area of Bologna, Italy. A multiple-choice test (before and after the course) explored attitude, knowledge and perceptions of realism, engagement, and agreement with the virtual reality method. A total of 1,179 students (response rate 81.4%) were included in the final analysis, with 12.89% from primary schools, 5.94% from middle schools, and 81.17% from high schools. Students’ willingness to intervene during a cardiac arrest rose from 56.9% to 93.1% (p