The 7th Summer First Aid School Kicks Off — Five Days of Development, Strategy and Training
Today marks the official opening of the 7th Summer First Aid School of the Ukrainian Red Cross — an annual training programme for instructors and trainers from across the country.
This year, the school has an international dimension, with participants from the Norwegian Red Cross, the French Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and the International Committee of the Red Cross. The event runs from 4 to 8 August in Vyshpil, Zhytomyr region, with around 100 instructors and trainers taking part from across Ukraine.
The theme of this year’s school is adapting first aid training to current realities, particularly to climate-related challenges, such as floods, wildfires, and extreme weather conditions, which, alongside war, pose significant threats to human life.
The programme includes:
- Engaging instructors and trainers in developing a national first aid strategy for the next five years
- Exploring new formats, communication methods and innovations
- Focusing on inclusion, programme adaptation and motivational tools
- Practical sessions on transportation and medical triage
- Community-based training sessions across the Zhytomyr region (up to 17 events per day)
- First aid training for children aged three and over, using the Henry doll
- Presentation of a clinical study on physical rehabilitation, developed jointly by the Ukrainian Red Cross and the Ministry of Health of Ukraine
The school aims to support instructors and trainers, unite the first aid community, provide new tools, and strengthen the impact of training at both national and international levels.
Nadiia Yamnenko, master trainer and head of the first aid department at the Ukrainian Red Cross, said:
“Despite the challenges, we are progressing. We have sought safe places for training, adapted our topics, and motivated our teams. Since 24 February 2022, we have trained over 360,000 people, developed programmes for people with disabilities, and tailored them for children aged three and over, as well as for pets. We currently have 400 instructors and 40 trainers across Ukraine, and we continue to move forward.”
It is worth noting that, over the past four years, the Ukrainian Red Cross’s first aid department has:
- Developed a methodological guide for working with people with disabilities, including children with visual impairments
- Conducted research on changes in teaching methods and the effectiveness of first aid for people with disabilities
- Received over 50 awards and distinctions, including setting a national record for cardiopulmonary resuscitation
First aid is growing, evolving, and becoming more accessible. And we are growing with it.
Because what matters most is that our work continues — to save lives and offer hope.
