Nationally Acclaimed Youth Program Kicks off its' Fourteenth Year Teaching Students

WENTZVILLE, Mo. - Jan. 27, 2017 - PRLog -- Since 2003, Mid America TEEN CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) has been training students how to answer the call of duty when a natural or man-made disaster happens. The basic 22-hours of intensive training teaches students how to handle most medical emergencies, extinguish fires and perform searches; but most importantly, students learn to manage stress, assist with peers and people with special and functional physical needs, and recognize signs and symptoms of disaster-related psychological issues.

This coupled with the fact that Mid America TEEN CERT (or MATC) presents 6-8 classes per year, in addition to participating in numerous charitable and philanthropic events, has earned the program the top spot as community emergency preparedness and response training program in Missouri for the sixth straight year. The program, established under FEMA in 2007, was also named for the second year in a row as the No. 1 Emergency Preparedness Program and Child and Youth Emergency Program for Outstanding Achievement in Youth Preparedness in America in 2016.

Mid America presently has over 1500 trained graduates and a backlog of roughly 40 future classes to be scheduled; from Boy and Girl Scouts, 4-H, church groups, high schools and other specialty and civic organizations. Even though the program is based in St. Charles County, Missouri, MATC travels anywhere the training is requested around the nation.

Currently, the 2017 training season has five firm classes schedule, with another three pending final approval as of this writing. The training classes include:

·  February 10-12 for BSA Troop 763 at Beaumont Scout Reservation in High Ridge, MO;

·  February 17, 18, 25 and 26 for MICDS High School in St. Louis, MO;

·  March 17-19 for Missouri Lions Club District 26-M3 in Wentzville, MO;

·  June 9-11 for BSA Troop 390 at Cuiver River State Park in Troy, MO;

·  July 8, 15, 22, 29 and August 5 for St. Charles City-County Library District in St. Peters, MO.

Mid America TEEN CERT is rooted in the national CERT curriculum with many beneficial and practical enhancements made to reflect increased emphasis on self, family, community and school. Improvements were made to the course to include the requirements of several Boy and Girl Scout badges that the youth can earn. For instance, upon successful completion of TEEN CERT, eligible Boy Scouts received not only a state-approved certificate of achievement, they have the opportunity to earn several merit badges, including Emergency Preparedness, First Aid, Fire Safety, Safety, Disabilities Awareness, Search and Rescue and Wilderness Survival. Presently, Mid America is the only program offering this unique opportunity in the U.S.  The program trains anyone over the age of 12 years old and roughly 45% of the more than 1500 graduates are adults.

More about TEEN CERT program can be located on Facebook at Official TEEN CERT www.facebook.com/groups/MIDAMERICATEENCERT/.