Real World Workshop Teaches Teens to Help Save Lives
Participants were encouraged to share their photos and thoughts from the event via social media.
Nearly 400 students from 48 area high schools are more savvy about the business of saving lives after attending The Blood Center's Real World Educational Workshop - held over four days at different locations in the Brazos Valley, East Texas and Gulf Coast regions.
Participating schools sent members of their blood drive committees to learn what makes a successful blood drive - from marketing and recruitment efforts starting weeks before the drive, to day-of-drive tasks.
Dr. Beth Hartwell, The Blood Center's Medical Director, presented on the history of blood transfusion, and students learned about how their blood type determines what donation type they should make to maximize its benefit to patients.
Each day included a presentation of awards to schools that broke their previous collections records and the top schools in these categories:
- Most units collected (for the school year)
- Most units collected at a single drive
- Most automated donations for the year
- Greatest percentage increase in donations over previous year