Red Cross offers continuing education courses

PRINCETON — Area people wanting to continue their education may not have to look any further than the Bureau County Chapter of the American Red Cross.

 On Wednesday, Bureau County Chapter Director Lori Compton said the American Red Cross has now been approved as an authorized provider of Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) through The International Association for Continuing Education and Training. The Red Cross went through an extensive application and vetting process to ensure strict continuing education guidelines are met, Compton said.

“It was important to get these courses accredited for those professionals needing Continuing Education Credits,” Compton said. “Across all lines of service, the American Red Cross prides itself on educating the public about many issues and it’s certainly an added value to receive CEUs for taking our training courses.”

Last year, the local Red Cross chapter provided continuing education classes for nearly 800 area people, Compton said. Some of those classes are offered online, while others are held in various places around the community, including the Bureau County Metro Center, Compton said.

The Red Cross can also conduct a variety of health and safety classes for area businesses, schools and non-profit organizations, Compton said.

The local classes can also help professionals, such as nurses, social workers, recreational professionals, teachers and day care providers, to gain or maintain licensing or certification, Compton said.

“These classes are a great opportunity,” Compton said Wednesday. “It’s one of the services we have available and we encourage people to check out our classes.”

Some of the eligible courses for CEUs include First Aid and CPR/AED, lifeguarding and water safety instruction, safety training for swim coaches, disaster instructor specialty training, and courses on international humanitarian law. Once that training is completed, continuing education units may also be obtained through the Red Cross’ Web site.

Class participants need to verify with their accrediting organizations that CEUs from Red Cross classes will be accepted. There is a fee for Red Cross classes.

For more information, contact Compton at the American Red Cross office at (815) 879-2231.

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