Ten students attending Commonwealth Connections Academy cyber school gathered on Monday to learn first aid and CPR. Classes were held in the school's Mobile Classroom, which was parked throughout the day outside of Commonwealth Connections Academy's headquarters in Lehighton.

Scott Nester, driver, said that the Mobile Classroom offers unique classes to the students. The van is equipped with wife and a monitor. Teachers can do power point presentations or face-to-face instruction using a web cam with live lessons. In the past the van has been used in the past to offer students instruction on stream studies, bird and astronomy observation, frog dissections, water sampling, soil testing. science as art demonstrations, student art exhibits, book fairs, language labs and more.The CPR and first aid instructor was Donna Bauer, who has been training people in CPR for 40 years."Now you know all you need to know," said Bauer, as she was wrapping up one of the three classes she taught on Monday to the cyber school students. Bauer is an American Red Cross instructor.Bauer utilized video and workbooks to help the students learn how to offer help in some medical emergency situations."My mom's an EMT at St. Luke's so she has been teaching me," said 14-year-old Lynde Kuntz of Palmerton. "She's been an EMT for 20 years."Kayla Whitney of Taylor said that she wanted to take the classes because she is a certified baby sitter. "I usually baby-sit a 3 year old and I wanted to learn CPR."Bauer used curriculum from the National American Red Cross School Partnership Program."This is the first time I've used the curriculum," she said. "I normally do a lot of lifeguard instruction."She said that during the classes she maintains the students' attention by asking a lot of questions."They're here because they want to learn," said Bauer.Bauer said that she wanted to get across to the students that it's important to remain calm in emergencies.She said that most people have concerns with helping at a medical emergency."They need to know enough so that they feel comfortable that they will not make things worse," she said.For the students, it was another opportunity to network with classmates. CCA offers 250 field trips throughout the school year. Usually field trips are organized and coordinated by a parent volunteer.Commonwealth Connections Academy is a public cyber school that focuses on in-home and online learning. Students meet their classmates during events such as this.Northeastern Pennsylvania is serviced by a CCA branch office in Lehighton, which is used primarily for state testing and for organizing field trips.