
Overview of Events
Guardians of the Heart hosts a wide range of events designed to educate, empower, and engage. Keep reading to learn more!
Types of Events
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Expert Panels
The first step to change is education. We host virtual expert panels where doctors, researchers, nutritionists, policymakers, and stakeholders are invited to share their expertise on cardiovascular disease risk factors and prevention strategies for youth. As a community, we can learn the importance of leading healthy lifestyles beginning at an early age. Topics range from lifestyle medicine to healthcare policy to cardiovascular health disparities and health equity.
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Blood Pressure Screenings
By partnering with local hospitals, we put together a team of healthcare providers and nurses to travel to underserved and lower-income areas in New York. There, we set up mobile vans or tents and tables in villages, libraries, Farmers’ Markets, or other public facilities to offer free blood pressure screenings, health brochures, and tailored educational workshops. This pushes forward our goal of reducing disparities in cardiovascular healthcare.
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Heart Scavenger Hunts
Designed for youth and families, these scavenger hunts lead participants through themed stations focused on key areas of heart health, including nutrition, physical activity, mental wellness, sleep, and more. Each station includes educational clues, fun challenges, and mini prizes to encourage participation and reinforce heart-healthy habits. Whether in a library, park, museum, or school, our scavenger hunts bring energy and excitement to the journey toward lifelong wellness.
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Storytime Workshops
Our storytime workshops offer interactive sessions for youth, featuring a variety of activities, including presentations by professionals on topics like sudden cardiac arrest, children’s heart health book read-alouds, and arts & crafts activities such as watercolor painting, Play-Doh modeling, and collaborative heart murals. These workshops are designed to capture children's imagination while providing practical knowledge on preventing cardiovascular disease and promoting healthier lifestyles.
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Health Fairs
We bring heart health awareness to local health fairs and career expos, offering fun games, nutrition resources, and activities for all ages. Join us for Heart Health Trivia, where participants can test their knowledge about heart health and win heart-themed prizes. Engage with our Heart Health Crossword and Word Search worksheets to explore heart health terminology, anatomy, and wellness. Plus, create your own Heart Health Plan by designing personalized exercise routines, healthy eating habits, and lifestyle choices that promote a strong heart.
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CPR and AED Use Training
We offer hands-on CPR and AED use training sessions to empower youth and community members with life-saving skills. These engaging workshops include step-by-step demonstrations on performing high-quality CPR, recognizing the signs of cardiac arrest, and safely using an AED. Participants will practice compressions on training manikins, learn proper hand placement and rhythm, and understand when and how to act in an emergency.
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Live Well Stations
Live Well Stations are interactive, hands-on experiences that make the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 come alive for kids. Each station focuses on one of the eight core areas of cardiovascular wellness—like managing blood pressure, eating better, staying active, and getting quality sleep—through creative activities. From building a balanced plate to practicing calming breathing exercises, participants leave each station with new knowledge, tools, and confidence to take ownership of their heart health in everyday life.
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Legislative Advocacy
Join us in advocating for increased cardiovascular health promotion and disease prevention on the legislative level. Through speaking at district and county Boards of Education, rallying public support through petitions, and collaborating with New York State Assemblymembers and Senators, we hope to integrate CPR training and certification into school health curricula, establish healthier school lunch options, increase access to AEDs in schools and workplaces, reduce healthcare disparities, and more.
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Heart-Healthy Bake Sales
Our bake sales are more than just a sweet treat. They’re an opportunity to bring the community together around wellness and education. Featuring homemade, heart-smart goods, these events also include interactive activities such as Heart Health Fact or Fiction, where participants test their knowledge and bust common heart health myths. These bake sales are a delicious way to start conversations about prevention, nutrition, and healthy living habits in a welcoming and engaging environment.
“I want my kid to grow up knowing how to keep her body healthy, and heart health is a big part of that. I appreciated the use of books for education and the arts and crafts, and you all for being here to teach them.”
— Ashley, parent attendee, Storytime Workshop
Webinar Series
Check out our expert panels, now available as a YouTube webinar series, covering key topics such as lifestyle medicine, healthcare advocacy, health disparities, and sudden cardiac arrest prevention.
Here’s our latest expert panel!
Partner with Us
Collaborate with Guardians of the Heart to expand access to heart health education and prevention. Whether you're a school, nonprofit, healthcare provider, community organization, or even an individual student, we welcome partnerships that support youth empowerment, health equity, and early intervention. Contact us to learn more and explore opportunities.