Local students helping save lives

At the Career Academy of South Bend, students are taught to take action. And that's what they are doing.

Chad Addie, Director of Development, said "So it started as a class project with Principles of Biomedical Science and they began to dream a little bit. Thinking 'wouldn't it be nice if we had a health fair for the school?' and we forgot to actually tell them that they shouldn't do the real thing. So then it grew and then all of a sudden we have like five vendors, they're making phone calls and they're going to the factories handing out fliers. And so eventually we have this full blown health fair going on."

The biomedical students pulled out all of the bells and whistles, including free AED & First Aid training, free health screenings, a blood drive, and sponsors to help make it happen.

Teacher Theresa Godette says "A lot of times we hear that high school students are selfish. These kids are not selfish. They wanted to offer resources to their community and they want to save lives and so they felt like if they could get community here they could offer things at the health fair that would save somebody's life."

A lesson that the students say can't be taught in the classroom.

Student Mindy Layne said, "It's helping my communication skills a lot. It's helping me get to know people and how to approach them especially when it comes to serious things like money and being respectful and being humble about it and going about it the right way."

While other students were just excited to see their hard work pay off and help someone in need.

Student Caralyne Kreie said, "I never would've thought I'd be doing something like this a giant health fair."