MCM-Meridian to host Babysitter Academy
Apr. 3—Teenagers who are interested in becoming babysitters can receive CPR and safety skills training during a Babysitter Academy being offered from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday, April 13, at Mississippi Children's Museum-Meridian.
MCM-Meridian is hosting the Babysitter Academy CPR and Safety Certification Course to help students gain skills and knowledge, including life-saving techniques, necessary for jobs involving children. The academy is open to all teens, ages 13 to 16, in Meridian and the surrounding areas.
"MCM-Meridian has identified a need for a CPR and Babysitting Safety course to educate teenagers in the area on how to take care of young children," said Rebecca Parker, assistant director of marketing and public relations for the museum.
Parker said one of the museum's goals is to engage more with young adults, and the Community Foundation of East Mississippi grant, which is supporting the academy, is allowing them to achieve that goal.
During the Babysitter Academy, students will earn two certifications by the American Safety & Health Institute: HSI Child and Babysitting Safety and HSI Adult/Infant/Child: CPR/AED, she said.
The CABS training will teach teens how to start a babysitting business and interact with parents and children, as well as provide important safety and first aid information using the latest 2020 guidelines.
During the CPR/AED training, students will learn essential life-saving skills, such as what to do in a sudden cardiac arrest; how to perform CPR and defibrillation; how to make an assessment and start chest compressions; how to do rescue breathing and use a CPR mask; how to use an automated external defibrillator, or AED; and what to do in a choking incident.
Both courses will be instructed by MCM-Meridian's Director of Museum Experiences Courtney Crowe, who has had experience as an HSI Level 1 instructor for the past three years. Crowe is authorized to teach safety programs, including adult and pediatric first aid, CPR for all ages, child and babysitting safety, wilderness first aid, the administration of Epinephrine auto-injectors for severe allergic reactions, among other life-saving skills.
The cost to participate in the academy is $60 per student which includes lunch, class supplies and digital certification cards. Guests are welcome to bring additional water and snacks if needed.
The class has limited capacity, so Parker encourages those interested in enrolling for the Babysitter Academy to register online at mcmmeridian.org. Class registration closes at 5 p.m., Monday, April 8.
Parker said if the museum sees a high demand for the Babysitter Academy, it will look to offer additional classes to teens in the future.
Contact Glenda Sanders at gsanders@themeridianstar.com.
