Hands-On CPR & Emergency Preparedness Training That Prepares HBCU Students Before Emergencies Happen
HBCU Community Safety Solutions equips high schools, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and surrounding communities with hands-on CPR certification and emergency preparedness training that builds real-world response skills, strengthens campus safety readiness, and prepares students before emergencies happen.
Why HBCU Community Safety Solutions Was Created
HBCU Community Safety Solutions was founded as a strategic expansion of Sterling 1st Aid C.P.R.™ after identifying a critical preparedness gap affecting students entering Historically Black Colleges and Universities.Many students arrived on campus having completed computer-based CPR instruction without certification and without hands-on mannequin practice, which limited their confidence and ability to respond during real emergencies. As an educator and American Red Cross instructor, founder Sterlynn Jones recognized that students develop true life-saving readiness through hands-on instruction, guided practice, and real-world simulation experiences.In response, she began implementing certification-based CPR and emergency preparedness training programs in high schools, ensuring students could practice skills before transitioning into college environments. This work naturally expanded onto HBCU campuses and into surrounding communities, forming what is now HBCU Community Safety Solutions—a campus partnership initiative focused on strengthening safety readiness through practical, skills-based training.Today, the initiative supports students, staff, and campus-adjacent communities across the United States and is expanding internationally through emerging partnerships in Nigeria, continuing its mission to ensure students are not only informed—but truly prepared—to respond when emergencies happen.
Meet the Leadership Team Advancing HBCU Campus Safety Readiness
HBCU Community Safety Solutions is led by educators, public safety professionals, and HBCU alumni committed to strengthening campus readiness through hands-on CPR certification and emergency preparedness training. Our leadership team combines experience in education, campus engagement, emergency response training, and community-based safety initiatives to support institutions in building safer learning environments for students, faculty, and surrounding communities. Founded by Sterlynn Jones, M.Ed., MLS, alumna of Alabama State University and American Red Cross Instructor, the initiative was created to address a critical gap: many students arrive on college campuses having received computer-based CPR exposure without certification or hands-on mannequin training. HBCU Community Safety Solutions ensures students gain the real-world practice needed to respond confidently in emergencies. Supporting the coordination of safety training initiatives is Shakira McClendon, Safety Training Coordinator, an Atlanta native, Alabama State University alumna, and public safety professional with the Georgia State Patrol. Her experience strengthens program delivery through practical insight into emergency readiness and community safety engagement. Together, the leadership team works to expand a preparedness pipeline that begins in high schools, continues through HBCU campuses, and now extends internationally through emerging partnerships in Nigeria.
Founder | American Red Cross Instructor | Campus Safety Readiness Specialist | Founder, Sterling 1st Aid C.P.R.™
STERLYNN Jones
Sterlynn Jones, M.Ed., MLS, alumna of Alabama State University and proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., founded HBCU Community Safety Solutions as a strategic expansion of her work through Sterling 1st Aid C.P.R.™ after recognizing a critical preparedness gap affecting students transitioning from high school into college environments. She observed that many students had technically “received CPR training,” but it was delivered only through computer-based modules and without certification—significantly limiting their readiness and confidence to respond during real emergencies. As an American Red Cross instructor and educator, Sterlynn understood that students learn life-saving skills best when they are visually guided, physically engaged, and given the opportunity to practice on CPR mannequins. Hands-on instruction builds muscle memory, improves response time, and increases the likelihood that someone will act when a life is at risk. In response, she began implementing certification-based, hands-on CPR and emergency preparedness training programs in high schools, ensuring students could practice compressions, learn correct positioning, and participate in real-world response simulations before entering college. This early intervention created a preparedness pipeline that naturally expanded onto HBCU campuses and into surrounding communities—ultimately leading to the creation of HBCU Community Safety Solutions. Today, the initiative continues to emphasize mannequin-supported, certification-based training experiences that move students beyond awareness and into true readiness—strengthening campus safety culture locally and now extending its impact internationally through emerging partnerships in Nigeria.
Safety Training CoordinatorPublic Safety Professional | Georgia State Patrol |
Shakira McClendonSafety Training Coordinator, HBCU Community Safety Solutions
Shakira McClendon, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, attended Alabama State University and serves as Safety Training Coordinator for HBCU Community Safety Solutions, where she supports the coordination and delivery of hands-on CPR and emergency preparedness training initiatives designed to strengthen student readiness across high school and HBCU campus communities. Through her current role with the Georgia State Patrol, Shakira brings valuable public safety insight that strengthens the program’s focus on situational awareness, emergency response readiness, and community-centered safety engagement. Her experience supports the organization’s mission to ensure students receive hands-on, certification-based safety training that prepares them to respond confidently during real-world emergencies. Shakira plays an important role in advancing the preparedness pipeline that equips students with life-saving skills before emergencies happen—supporting partnerships between high schools, HBCU campuses, and surrounding communities as the initiative continues expanding across the United States and into emerging collaborations in Nigeria.
Partnering With Institutions to Strengthen HBCU Campus Safety
University leaders, student affairs teams, residence life professionals, and campus safety partners collaborate with HBCU Community Safety Solutions to strengthen preparedness through hands-on CPR certification and emergency readiness training. Our programs focus on closing the gap between computer-based awareness training and real-world response confidence by providing mannequin-supported instruction, guided simulations, and certification-based learning experiences that prepare students before emergencies happen. Through partnerships that begin in high schools and extend onto college campuses and surrounding communities, HBCU Community Safety Solutions helps institutions strengthen their campus safety culture and student readiness.
HBCU Community Safety Solutions is actively partnering with high schools, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and community safety leaders to expand access to certification-based CPR and emergency preparedness training that prepares students before emergencies happen. Institutions interested in launching a campus readiness training partnership are encouraged to connect with our team.
HBCU Community Safety Solutions Training Team
Working with HBCU Community Safety Solutions provides institutions with access to hands-on CPR certification and emergency preparedness training designed specifically for students transitioning from high school into college environments. Our training model strengthens campus readiness by moving students beyond computer-based awareness modules into mannequin-supported, certification-based learning experiences that build confidence and real-world response skills. We are currently partnering with high schools, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and community safety leaders to expand access to hands-on safety training that prepares students before emergencies happen. Institutions interested in launching a campus readiness partnership are encouraged to connect with our team.
HBCU Community Safety Solutions Training Team
Supporting Campus Safety Through Practical Training Partnerships HBCU Community Safety Solutions works with high schools, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and surrounding communities to strengthen preparedness through certification-based CPR and emergency response training. Our approach focuses on closing the gap between computer-based safety awareness and real-world response readiness by providing mannequin-supported instruction that builds confidence, improves response time, and prepares students to act during emergencies. Through early preparedness training before students arrive on campus, institutions can strengthen safety culture across residence life environments, student organizations, athletics programs, and campus community partnerships. We welcome opportunities to collaborate with campus leaders interested in launching hands-on safety readiness initiatives.
Campus Safety Readiness InitiativeHBCU Community Safety Solutions
Campus Safety Collaboration Approach HBCU Community Safety Solutions works alongside Student Affairs teams, Residence Life leadership, campus safety departments, and community partners to design hands-on CPR certification and emergency preparedness training aligned with each institution’s environment and student needs. Our collaborative approach ensures training programs reflect campus culture while strengthening student confidence, response readiness, and community-wide safety awareness through mannequin-supported instruction and real-world simulation experiences. We partner with institutions interested in building a preparedness pipeline that begins before students arrive on campus and continues throughout their college experience. Connect with our team to explore campus partnership opportunities.
Campus Safety Readiness InitiativeHBCU Community Safety Solutions
Building Campus Safety Culture Through Hands-On Training Hands-on CPR certification and emergency preparedness training strengthens student confidence, improves response readiness, and supports a safer campus environment across residence life, student leadership programs, athletics departments, and campus organizations. HBCU Community Safety Solutions helps institutions move beyond computer-based awareness modules by providing mannequin-supported instruction that builds real-world response skills students can rely on during emergencies. Our training model supports campuses in developing a preparedness culture that begins before students arrive and continues throughout their college experience. We invite campus leaders to partner with us to expand hands-on safety readiness training for their students and communities.
Student Readiness & Campus Safety InitiativeHBCU Community Safety Solutions
Hands-On Safety Training That Creates Measurable Campus Readiness
HBCU Community Safety Solutions equips students, educators, and campus communities with hands-on CPR certification and emergency preparedness training that strengthens response confidence before emergencies occur. Many students arrive on college campuses having completed computer-based CPR exposure without certification or mannequin practice, limiting their ability to respond in real situations. Our training model closes this gap through guided instruction, real-world simulation experiences, and certification-based learning that builds muscle memory and decision-making confidence. By preparing students before they transition into college—and continuing training throughout their campus experience—our programs help institutions strengthen safety culture across residence life, student organizations, athletics programs, and surrounding community partnerships. This preparedness pipeline supports measurable improvements in student readiness, campus engagement, and emergency response awareness across the university environment.
10+
Universities engaged
HBCU Community Safety Solutions partners with institutions across Atlanta and beyond to implement campus-wide protocols.
500+
Students trained
Students gain practical safety awareness and emergency response skills through our comprehensive training curriculum.
100%
Completion rate
Our engaging, practical approach ensures participants complete training and retain critical safety knowledge.
95%
Partner satisfaction
University partners report stronger safety infrastructure and improved confidence in their campus security protocols after working with us.
Let’s Build a Safer Campus Preparedness Pipeline Together
HBCU Community Safety Solutions partners with high schools, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and community organizations to provide hands-on CPR certification and emergency preparedness training that prepares students before emergencies happen. Our mannequin-supported training approach helps institutions strengthen campus readiness, increase student confidence, and build a culture of safety that extends from high school transition programs through the college experience and into surrounding communities. We welcome opportunities to collaborate with campus leaders interested in launching student safety readiness initiatives on their campuses.
Training delivered through Sterling 1st Aid C.P.R.™, supporting certification-based instruction aligned with American Red Cross training standards.
Serving high schools, HBCU campuses, and community partners across the Southeast and expanding through partnerships in Nigeria