UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Health Promotion and Wellness, a unit of Penn State Student Affairs, is currently accepting applications for HealthWorks, a peer outreach and education program designed to advocate health among students at University Park. Applications for the 2019-20 academic year are currently being accepted through Feb. 1.
HealthWorks offers two unique opportunities for students with an interest in health and wellness to get involved on campus. These opportunities include facilitating one-on-one wellness services to peers and outreach and promotion through workshops and other initiatives. During the application process interested students will have the option to prioritize which opportunity they are most interested in.
Participation in the program is a three-semester commitment, which includes one semester of training and two semesters of service. For this reason, students who wish to apply must plan to graduate in fall 2020 or later.
Training for the program requires the completion of a three-credit course offered through the Department of Biobehavioral Health, which will be completed during the fall semester. Topics covered in the course include alcohol and other drugs, financial literacy, sexual health, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress and other health topics that are relevant to the college population. There are no prerequisites to register for the course.
Upon successful completion of the training course, participants are asked to complete 45 hours of service each semester. This can be completed by providing free wellness services to peers that address topics such as stress and time management, physical activity, nutrition, sleep, sexual health, and healthy relationships, or through outreach and promotion that includes staffing outreach tables at special events, hosting health programs and workshops, planning and implementing health promotion initiatives, and providing HIV pre- and post-test counseling.
In addition to scheduled outreach activities and on-on-one education, HealthWorks members will also have the opportunity to assist with healthy cooking demonstrations, write blog and social media posts for Healthy Penn State, and participate in special events, such as The Body Monologues.
“Serving as a HealthWorks peer educator and HIV test counselor has profoundly impacted my undergraduate experience,” said Taylor Hadad, a senior majoring in biobehavioral health. “Not only has HealthWorks allowed me to partake in important health advocacy and promotion efforts, but also provided me with an avenue to serve my peers. The experience has equipped me with the skills necessary to succeed in leading health interventions, workshops and public health research surrounding health disparities.”
For more information about HealthWorks, including an application to apply, visit studentaffairs.psu.edu/healthworks-apply.