Master Wellness Volunteer Program
Master Wellness Volunteer Program“Improving Lives, Improving Texas”

Save the Date: 21 July

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WHO: Master Wellness Volunteers, Trainees/Interns, County Extension Agents & Interested Third Parties

WHAT: 2nd Ever Master Wellness Volunteer Conference

WHEN: Thursday, 21 July 2016, 9a-3p

WHERE: Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center at Dallas

WHY: Why not?

Once upon a time (2006) in a land far far away (Dallas/Ft. Worth Metro Area) enterprising Extension professionals saw an opportunity to recruit and train volunteers to support Extension outreach and education related to health and nutrition. Please plan to join us 21 July to celebrate 10 years of volunteer engagement and program success during our 2nd Ever Master Wellness Volunteer Conference.

Watch this space for further details. If you’re unable to join us in Dallas, we’ll plan to broadcast the conference online. Talk to your County Extension Agent about organizing a watch party! If you have ideas for topics, trainings or activities to make this a meaningful conference experience, please let us know.

A New Pony in the Stable

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Don’t you just love new things? I do. I’m usually a pretty content person but new stuff gets me all excited.

Thanks to a committed team of educators who planned/executed it, Renda Nelson who recorded it and all the behind the scenes people who posted it, we’re glad to have A Fresh Start to a Healthier You! available as a training option for Master Wellness Volunteers. You’ll find it available for enrollment via the Extension Online Course System.

A Fresh Start to a Healthier You! is a holistic adult-learning series that uses practical experience and information to help change lives and improve health. Participants also gain support and understanding from the instructor and other participants while learning how to provide safe, healthy, and economical meals for their families and themselves.

A part of the Better Living for Texans (BLT) program, A Fresh Start to a Healthier You! includes research-based lessons that integrate the importance of healthy nutrition with an emphasis on increasing fruit and vegetable intake, physical activity, food safety, and food resource management. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission, the USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and Food and Nutrition Services sponsor this program.

Not to sound too much like a TV commercial hawking a new medication but…talk to your County Extension Agent to see if A Fresh Start to a Healthier You! is right for you (and your county).

When Extension Online Closes a Door…

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…it opens a window. You might have noticed when you complete one of the MWV Online training courses that you get “locked out” of it. It’s not just you – you ARE locked out. Locked out for a year.

The system is set up to provide continuing education units for a variety of certifications, many of which prohibit retaking the courses more than once annually. So the MWV Trainings get caught up in the mix.

Pro Tip: Download all the course materials as you’re taking the course, before you get to the end, so you can refer to them later.

You can also contact your County Extension Agent to get copies of the materials. But there’s yet another way…if you really need back in there: contact the help desk via the Help Desk tab – they can reset your enrollment.

Sign Here

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Have you ever thought about how many times a day you sign your name? And how many times you sign your name and perhaps don’t even read through the entirety of what you’re signing. Scary, huh?

Master Wellness Volunteers play a big role in helping extend the outreach and education of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. And we appreciate it. But we do not take it lightly. We want all parties to understand the roles and responsibilities they’re taking on by agreeing to be a MWV. So, many moons ago, perhaps, or just yesterday, when you filled out your application, you attested to the following with your signature:

I would like to become a Master Wellness Volunteer. I understand that should I be selected for the training program, I will be required to complete 40 hours of training. Upon completion of the training, I will be required to return 40 hours of volunteer service by the end of the year under the direction of the county AgriLife Extension agent. I also understand that as a volunteer, I will represent Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and will be called upon to provide educational programs and disseminate educational materials. I also understand that in this capacity I cannot use my status as a volunteer to promote any personal opinions, business, or services or the opinions or services of other companies or agencies. I must present the research-based information on which Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s educational programs and services are based.

It’s a long paragraph (almost as long as this post!) but it’s very important. Take a moment to re-read it, especially the bolded part, and make sure you’re honoring your commitment to the Agency, your county and the people you’re reaching. Please let your County Extension Agent know if you have any questions or concerns.

What’s in a Name?

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We were so concerned with food safety, intrepid trainees, that we messed up on the way the food safety courses are listed on your training syllabus. But, fear not, everything is there and ready for your to learn.

The “Cooking is a Matter of Degrees,” “Cooking Foods Safely Outdoors” and “Keeping Food Safe for Your and Your Family” courses listed on the syllabus are all included as part of the Cooking Foods Safely online course. We’ll get the syllabus updated soon.

Thanks to our friends in Wise County for finding this and asking a great question. Any time you have a question or something doesn’t quite make sense, please get in touch with your County Extension Agent.

Making a Difference in Collin County – Carrie Brazeal

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Superior (noun): high or higher in quality. Service (noun): contribution to the welfare of others.

One of the highest honors Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service gives its employees is the Superior Service Award. The program was established to recognize Extension faculty and staff who provide outstanding performance in Extension education.

Among the recipients of Superior Service Awards this year was Carrie Brazeal, County Extension Agent – Family and Consumer Sciences in Collin County, for her work with Master Wellness Volunteers. Read more about Carrie’s award here and if you’re ever in McKinney, swing by and tell her congrats for this well-deserved honor.

Browser Blues

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We here at Master Wellness Volunteer World Headquarters are getting so excited about the new hybrid learning model and online courses we can’t hardly stand it.

But we know it’s not going to be without its challenges. And one of those challenges reared its ugly head today: accessing the online course system.

A few things about using the online course system

  • Stay calm. In some ways this is one big, fun, exciting experiment we’re all conducting.
  • Read the directions. You can find detailed instructions on creating an account and enrolling in a course here.
  • Check your browser. If you can’t access http://extensiononline.tamu.edu via one browser, please try a different browser. Yes, sadly, it can make a difference.
  • Ask for help. The Extension Online Team has a pretty robust support page and if you can’t find the answer there, you can send them an email.

Thank you for your patience and your pioneer spirit as we find our way through moving the Master Wellness Volunteer Program forward.

If It’s Not on Paper (?) It Didn’t Happen

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Paper reports – what is this? 2012?

Nope. It’s 2016 and with a new year we have a new website and a new reporting form. To ease the transition I’ve created a little walk through video of the new site and the slightly modified reporting form. Enjoy the tour and please remember to keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times.

A Picture Is Worth 1,000 Words

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Have you ever needed help trying to explain the Master Wellness Volunteer Program to someone? Are you interested in the program but need a snapshot of its organization and requirements?

Paula Butler has created some really slick infographics to show how the Master Wellness Volunteer Program can work in a variety of settings. Click on the links below to access the PDF documents and follow up with your County Extension Agent if you have questions or need additional information.

Nice work, Paula!

The Website is Dead! Long Live the Website!

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It’s a new year and there’s a new website!

If you’re reading this, you’ve already found http://agrilife.org/mwv, the new home for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Master Wellness Volunteer (MWV) Program.

Our previous home, http://healthyliving.tamu.edu, was a good one and we will all remember her fondly. The site won’t go away but you’ll notice that the Master Wellness Volunteer tab now links to the new site (you’re welcome for not having to update your bookmarks). You may also notice that the reporting form looks slightly different – we’re always looking for ways to streamline the reporting process and hope you find the minor modifications help with that. Watch this space for a new demo video.

Hopefully in the coming weeks when you think MWV, you’ll think http://agrilife.org/mwv As we move forward with the new site, we want to make it a useful place for you to learn, grow and share. Please let us know how we can make that happen. And thank you for the work you do on behalf of your communities and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.