New Certified Food & Wellness Volunteer Program
Building on this model, Penn State Extension is now offering a Certified Food and Wellness Volunteer Training Program. This is an exciting opportunity to get in on the ground floor of this new program. We are now taking applications for the very first volunteers to be trained through this program and are looking for people with some knowledge and interest in foods, nutrition and food safety.
The Certified Food and Wellness Volunteer course is a comprehensive course offering forty hours of training, using on-line training modules for much of the education and ending with a full day of on-site training at Penn State University in State College on March 29, 2012. Participants will need access to a computer with internet service to complete the on-line portion and the ability to travel to State College for the on-site training. A certification exam will be given on the final day of training or on-line to assure that the volunteer has the tools and knowledge necessary to educate the community. The cost for the training program and certification is $125. Partial scholarships are available for those with financial need.
This is a great opportunity for people who would like to be more involved in promoting good health and wellness in their communities. Some knowledge of nutrition and experience in working with foods is desirable, but the most important qualification is a strong desire to learn more about nutrition, diet and health and having a desire to help others in the community improve their lives.
Upon completing the program, Food and Wellness Volunteers will give back forty hours of service to Penn State Extension Programs in nutrition and wellness. Volunteers will be able to use educational tools such as MyPlate, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Nutrition Facts Label to help others plan, buy, store and prepare foods within their budgets. Volunteers will work with the public by making presentations, assisting with Penn State Programs and answering consumer questions, using research based information. Guidance and oversight will be provided by a Penn State Educator as the volunteer gains confidence and skills for the service hours.
Projects for the forty hours of service may include doing cooking demonstrations for the Dining with Diabetes program, delivering short nutrition lessons for the Strong Women/Men Growing Stronger fitness and nutrition program and helping with a community engagement task force directed to improving childhood health. Other activities could be grocery store tours, food safety education, interacting with school children and/or parents, as well as helping with displays at Ag Progress Days, farmer’s markets, health fairs or even the Pennsylvania Farm Show! Individual interests will be considered in service hours.
According to Penn State’s Master Gardener Coordinator Mary Ann Ryan, “The model used in the Master Gardener program works well for our volunteers – they get to know other people with the same interests, have the opportunity to talk about their passion and they continue to learn through the continuing education program they take part in each year.” We are hopeful that the same rewards will be associated with our new Food and Wellness Volunteer Program!
The application deadline is Monday, January 23, 2012. Interested people should contact Rayna Cooper at 334-6271, ext. 322 or by email at rgc15@psu.edu for the application and a description of the position. A brochure is also available for interested people to look at. Short interviews will be scheduled in late January or early February for final selection of volunteers for the training program.
Rayna Cooper is a Registered Dietitian and Family & Consumer Sciences/Nutrition Educator serving Penn State Extension in Adams County. Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce. Penn State Extension in Adams County is located at 670 Old Harrisburg Road, Suite 204, Gettysburg, PA 17325, phone 334-6271, email rgc15@psu.edu.
