I am delighted to share that this August I was able to achieve the goals I set out to pursue when I applied for the Class of 1978 Foundation grant. This summer, my work centered on two objectives: expanding CPR and first aid training in underserved communities and advancing the instructional development of The BEATroot, a bilingual CPR-assistance device.
Goal #1: Expanding CPR and First Aid training across communities in Jordan
In collaboration with the Jordan Paramedic Society (JPS), I organized and led a series of CPR and first aid workshops designed for underserved girls in public schools. Each session included around 20 participants, and across five workshops nearly 100 girls received hands-on training. The trainings were conducted at the JPS headquarters in Amman, with transportation arranged and covered for students traveling from communities such as Al-Zarqa and Al-Mafraq—locations nearly an hour away where access to health education remains scarce.
By focusing on young women from these underserved schools, the program not only equipped participants with immediate lifesaving skills but also nurtured a group of potential peer educators able to share knowledge within their communities. Feedback from participants highlighted increased confidence in recognizing emergencies and performing basic first aid, reinforcing the program’s broader goal of cultivating a culture of preparedness and resilience.
Goal #2: Instructional development of The BEATroot
As part of refining The BEATroot’s instructional design, I met with the President of the Jordan Paramedics Society (JPS) to better understand the challenges first responders encounter in Jordan when performing CPR. This consultation provided several key insights that are shaping the device’s development:
- Audio Instructions: A clearer separation is needed between compression counts and reassurances so that users can follow the rhythm without confusion.
- Visual Cues: For individuals with lower literacy levels, visual prompts were found to be especially valuable in reinforcing proper technique.
- Cultural Considerations: Explicitly addressing barriers such as hesitation to intervene with female patients is critical to ensure inclusive and effective use of the device in Arabicspeaking
communities.
These findings have directly informed the next stage of prototyping, where I am adapting The BEATroot’s audiovisual instructions to align with both linguistic accessibility and cultural relevance.