Published on: 04/08/2025
Nicklaus Children’s and the School District of Palm Beach County (SDPBC) launch Project ADAM training in Palm Beach County public schools to prepare employees to respond to a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). To date, staff at 77 SDPBC schools have received training provided by Nicklaus Children’s Heart Institute clinicians in life-saving methods, including CPR, response plan development, and use of automated external defibrillation (AED) devices. Staff at all SDPBC-operated schools will be trained by the end of 2025.
Nicklaus Children’s Heart Institute is one of only two affiliates of Project ADAM in Florida. Project ADAM is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving our community through educational programs that help prevent deaths associated with SCA. In its role as the Project ADAM South Florida affiliate, Nicklaus Children’s is committed to helping implement life-saving training and education programs at schools as well as community organizations. Miami-Dade County Public School District is 100 percent heart safe, and an additional 40 charter schools have received training throughout Miami-Dade and Broward County.
“Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is proud to be an affiliate for Project ADAM providing life-saving tools throughout three counties for the children and families in South Florida,” said Matthew A. Love, president and CEO of Nicklaus Children’s Health System. “Since our launch of Project ADAM South Florida, there have been nine lives saved in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. We’re excited to expand this impactful program to Palm Beach County schools and families. As the leading pediatric hospital in South Florida with a nationally ranked Heart Institute, we strive to put your child first by training school staff to respond in critical situations like sudden cardiac arrest events.”
“We are proud that so many members of Team Palm Beach are now equipped with additional life-saving training through the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Project ADAM program,” said Michael J. Burke, Superintendent of the School District of Palm Beach County. “Every second counts in a cardiac emergency. This initiative ensures our schools are better prepared to act swiftly and confidently when it matters most.”
Schools and facilities that complete the Project ADAM training receive a two-year certification.
In addition to representing Project ADAM, Nicklaus Children’s is also a leading advocate and provider of free EKG testing to identify children at risk of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). The hospital has offered free EKG screenings to children and adolescents in the community since 2011 and has screened over 70,000 children. The simple heart screening takes only a few minutes and can help detect heart conditions that may not be evident in routine school or sports physical examinations.
For more information on the hospital’s free EKG screenings program and to schedule a screening, visit www.nicklauschildrens.org/EKG
To learn more and become a Project ADAM certified facility, visit www.nicklauschildrens.org/ProjectADAM.
About the School District of Palm Beach County
The School District of Palm Beach County is the tenth largest in the nation and the fifth largest in the State of Florida serving more than 189,000 students (this number includes students that attend non-District operated Charter Schools) who speak 150 languages and dialects. As the largest employer in Palm Beach County, the School District has 22,801 employees, including more than 13,003 teachers.