Master Wellness Volunteers

The UNH Extension Master Wellness Volunteer Program is an opportunity for adults to engage in learning sessions focused on creating community change for health.

This unique program allows volunteers to connect with others as they build toolboxes for impacting individual and community health factors, environments and systems.

Topics covered include:

• Social determinants of health
• Disease prevention
• Health equity
• Public speaking skills 
• Cultural Diversity & Inclusion
• And so much more!

For those interested in creating community change and becoming health champions, we are currently inviting adult individuals who are interested in volunteering in New Hampshire to the Spring Session 2025 of the Master Wellness Volunteer Program. Volunteers will undergo a standard background screening before admission.

The Master Wellness Volunteer program will require a total of 30 - 40 hours to complete: After 20 hours of core training, volunteers will branch out into their 10 -20 hours of specialized pathway training that they can choose to participate in. Specialized pathway training sessions will focus on one of the following topics:

• Walk With Ease ^SM 
  • Volunteers will become a Walk With Ease Instructor and lead walking programs in their New Hampshire communities. Training will include CPR certification, facilitation skills, working with limited income audiences, observation and more.
• Boost your Brain and Memory

  • This is a multi-faceted program that uses a unique, whole-person approach to brain fitness, providing healthy practices and lifestyle choices for individuals to help remember things better, be more organized, pay closer attention and reduce stress to reduce the risk of dementia. Each session provides a memory strategy that can be implemented in daily life. This is a 4 series workshop (each session 2 hours). Volunteers will become site facilitators in their community for the Boost Your Brain program. This does not require teaching the subject matter but facilitating each workshop with participants.

• Youth Wellness
  • Volunteers will learn how to deliver to:
    • Preschool-aged curricula: 1) Husky Reads & 2) Healthy Minds, Healthy Bodies. ​​​​​​Lessons focus on nutrition, physical activity, social-emotional health, mindfulness and more. Many lessons include children’s books on related topics. 

    • Older elementary to middle school curricula: 1) Global Gourmet & 2) Take a Break for Breakfast. Lessons focus on nutrition around the world, culinary skills, and the importance of breakfast. Lessons include helping youth prepare recipes. 

• Mental Health First Aid Kit
  • Volunteers will learn to deliver the Mental Health First Aid course for Adults working with Youth or Adults by participating in an Instructor Training course that requires 8-hours of prework and then 3 full days of training by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing