(570) 301-3316

Mon to Fri Open: 8am - 5pm

CPR & AED Certification in Wilkes-Barre, PA

Core Academy Training Home

American Red Cross Training Wilkes-Barre PA

CPR Certification

The CORE Academy is an American Red Cross Licensed Training Provider (LTP) offering CPR and AED certification in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Classes are hands-on, paced for adult learners, and built around real situations rather than theory. This is the certification for working adults who want to know how to respond when something goes wrong, not just sit through a class.

  • Properly Using An AED
  • American Red Cross LTP
  • CPR for Adult, Child & Infants
American Red Cross Training Wilkes-Barre PA

Upcoming CPR Certification Training Dates

Next session: Tuesday, September 15, 2026 · $100

Who Is CPR Certification For?

One class covers it

The CORE Academy teaches CPR, AED and First Aid together in a single American Red Cross class: First Aid, CPR & AED Training, $100. We do not run a CPR-only class, and we do not run a First Aid-only class. Nearly everyone who needs one ends up needing the other, and the combined course is priced at what most providers in the area charge for CPR by itself. So if you came here looking for CPR certification, you are in the right place. You will leave certified in CPR, AED and First Aid, all American Red Cross, all valid for two years.

Workplace | CPR, First Aid & AED

This class is the right fit for:
  • Teachers and school staff
  • Coaches and activity leaders
  • Childcare providers
  • Workplace team members with safety responsibilities
  • Community program staff
  • Anyone whose employer or program asks for CPR and AED training
If your role calls for emergency response readiness in a non-clinical setting, this is the certification that typically matches. If your employer or program specifically requires Basic Life Support, choose BLS instead. The decision usually comes down to whether your work environment is clinical or non-clinical.

What the Class Covers

The CPR and AED certification covers the response skills required to act in the first minutes of a cardiac or breathing emergency. The class is built around the response sequence you would actually run in a real situation, not abstract theory.
 

CPR for adult, child, and infant response

The mechanics of CPR change across age groups. Compression depth, rate, hand placement, and the ratio of compressions to rescue breaths all adjust depending on the size of the person you are helping. A complete CPR certification covers all three age groups so participants leave able to respond regardless of who needs help. Compression technique gets significant hands-on practice because effective compressions are the single highest-impact skill in a cardiac arrest.
 

AED awareness and use

AED training covers when to deploy the device, how to apply pads safely without interrupting compressions, and what to do during analysis and shock delivery. Modern AEDs guide responders through the process, but knowing what to expect under stress is what separates trained responders from bystanders who freeze. Class practice runs on AED training units, the same model deployed in many workplaces, schools, gyms, and public spaces across Northeast Pennsylvania, so the muscle memory you build in class transfers directly to the real equipment.
 

Response to breathing emergencies

Choking response is taught for adults, children, and infants, including the difference between effective coughing and a true obstruction, the correct abdominal thrust technique by age, and how to escalate to CPR if the obstruction leads to unconsciousness. Breathing emergencies short of cardiac arrest also get coverage so participants can recognize the cascade and intervene early.
 

Hands-on practice with real training equipment

The in-person portion of the class is where the certification gets earned. Participants demonstrate every skill on training manikins and AED units before the certification is issued. The instructor is there to coach and correct, not to talk at you. By the end of class, you should be able to walk through a full response sequence under your own confidence, not just describe it.

How This Certification Works: Two Steps

The CORE Academy CPR and AED certification follows the American Red Cross blended learning format. There are two required steps and both must be completed to earn your certification.

Core Academy Training Home

STEP 1

Complete the American Red Cross online course on your own time. After registration, you receive access to the American Red Cross online learning module – a self-paced course that covers the theory behind CPR, AED use, and emergency response. You work through it at home or wherever is convenient, on your own schedule, before your scheduled in-person session. This typically takes about 2 to 3 hours. You must complete the online module before attending the in-person session.
A person performs CPR chest compressions during a training session at The CORE Academy in Wilkes-Barre, PA

STEP 2

Attend the in-person skills session at The CORE Academy in Wilkes-Barre. The in-person session is where the certification is earned. You practice every skill on training manikins and AED units with a certified Red Cross instructor present to coach and correct. The in-person skills session runs about four hours, 1:00pm to 5:00pm. You demonstrate the skills, the instructor signs off on your competency, and your digital certificate is issued.

Your certification is valid for 2 years from the course completion date. Your digital American Red Cross certificate arrives by email once you pass both the online module and the in-person skills competency test.

Compared to First Aid + CPR and BLS

CPR and AED certification is the broader option for non-clinical roles. If you also need first aid response training, the combined First Aid + CPR class covers both in one session. That option is usually the better value for workplace teams that need broader coverage. If you need the advanced certification used in clinical or patient-care environments, BLS is the right path. BLS is for nurses, medical assistants, and clinical staff. CPR is for everyone else.
 

CPR Certification in Wilkes-Barre: Why Train Locally

The CORE Academy offers CPR and AED certification in Wilkes-Barre for participants across Northeast Pennsylvania, including the Wyoming Valley, Scranton, Hazleton, and surrounding communities. For working adults juggling a workplace schedule, a local class means less travel and easier scheduling. For school staff and childcare providers managing the certification as part of a compliance requirement, a local provider you can reach with a phone call beats a national training company that hands you off to a queue.
 
The local advantage shows up in the small things. When a question comes up before class about format, location, or what to bring, you get an answer from the same person who runs the training. When a question comes up after class about renewal timing, group certification for your team, or whether a specific role needs CPR or BLS, the same is true. CORE Academy operates as a regional training partner, not as a credentialing factory, and that shapes how the work feels from the first phone call to the digital certificate in your inbox.
 

Training a Team

For organizations that need multiple staff certified together, we run group CPR and AED certifications at your location or in our Wilkes-Barre training space. Group certification often happens as part of a broader training partnership that includes leadership development, behavioral management, or other workplace training. Talk to us about what your team needs.

Why The CORE Academy

We are an American Red Cross Licensed Training Provider (LTP), which means we are independently licensed to teach and certify. Classes are hands-on, paced for adult learners, and built around real situations. Hands-on practice with AED units. Instructors who answer questions rather than rush the room. You leave with the skill, not just the certificate.

CORE stands for Creating Opportunities for Reflection & Education. The reflection part shows up in how we teach. We want you to understand why a step matters, not just how to do it. Learn more about The CORE Academy and our LCSW-led work, or read the broader guide on what CPR certification is and who needs it.

Ready to Register?

Browse upcoming class dates and register for the next session. For team training, get in touch about a group certification.

Tuesday, September 15, 2026 · 1:00pm to 5:00pm · $100
Tuesday, September 29, 2026 · 1:00pm to 5:00pm · $100
Monday, October 26, 2026 · 1:00pm to 5:00pm · $100
Wednesday, October 28, 2026 · 1:00pm to 5:00pm · $100

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. The CORE Academy is an American Red Cross Licensed Training Provider (LTP). The certification issued is an American Red Cross credential, valid for 2 years from your completion date.

Teachers, coaches, childcare staff, workplace team members, community program staff, and others whose role calls for CPR and AED training but is not in a clinical setting.

CPR and AED is the broader option for non-clinical roles. BLS is the advanced certification used in healthcare and patient-care environments. If your employer or program specifies BLS, choose BLS.

Yes. Group CPR and AED certifications can be delivered at your location or in our Wilkes-Barre training space. Group classes often run as part of broader workplace training engagements.

The CORE Academy Workplace Training

Explore Our Trainings

A person performs CPR chest compressions during a training session at The CORE Academy in Wilkes-Barre, PA
$100
CPR & First Aid

Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED

10 Lessons 3 hours 0 All Levels
CPR training class in progress at The CORE Academy in Wilkes-Barre, PA
$125
BLS

Basic Life Support

12 Lessons 3 hours 0 All Levels
A child crying with their head in their hands at a row of school desks
$125
Behavioral Management

Youth Mental Health First Aid

9 Lessons 6.5 hours 0 All Levels