Volunteer Opportunity at Health Promotion and Wellness for Students Interested in Health Promotion

Posted: January 20, 2021

HealthWorks, a peer health education outreach program in Health Promotion and Wellness, is currently recruiting student volunteers to become Peer Health Educators for the 2021-2022 academic year. The deadline for applications is March 5, 2021. Students from all majors are encouraged to apply.

HealthWorks peer educators work to address college health issues at Penn State, including stress, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and sexual health.

Students have two different opportunities for promoting health among their peers:

  1. One-on-one wellness services for students. These peer educators meet individually with students to provide free wellness services. The topics include stress and time management, physical activity, nutrition, sleep, sexual health and healthy relationships. 
  2. Outreach and promotion through workshops and initiatives. These peer educators plan and implement various health promotion initiatives and efforts to encourage healthy lifestyle choices among Penn State students. Examples of HealthWorks initiatives include writing for the Healthy Penn State blog and Instagram, hosting Eating Disorder Awareness and Love Your Body week, creating healthy cooking videos, conducting minority health outreach tables, facilitating workshops on different health topics and providing HIV test counseling. 

Students who apply and are accepted will receive training through a 3-credit course offered through the Department of Biobehavioral Health in Fall 2021. The course is designed to train peer health educators on health issues and health promotion theories and strategies for college students.

Volunteering in HealthWorks helps prepare students for careers in public health, allied health fields, nursing, nutrition, medicine, advertising and public relations.

Students can learn more about HealthWorks and apply online at https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/health-wellness/healthy-living/volunteer-experiences-health-and-wellness/healthworks.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office via e-mail at promotinghealth@psu.edu or by phone at (814) 863-0461.