STARKVILLE, Miss. -- A Mississippi 4-H health and wellness program is expanding after receiving a $100,000 grant from a large health care and insurance company.

UnitedHealthCare awarded the grant to the Mississippi State University Extension Service to expand the Junior Master Wellness Volunteer program -- or JrMWV. This program equips young people with health messages that help improve health literacy and lead to choices and lifestyle changes for a healthier Mississippi.

This community health education leader training program is offered through the MSU Extension 4-H program in partnership with the University of Mississippi Medical Center and the UMMC/Myrlie Evers-Williams Institute.

These junior volunteers develop leadership and team building skills, prepare to support ongoing and new programs in communities that engage in and promote healthy principles, and learn to provide health promotion aimed at improving health literacy and healthy lifestyle choices. 

MSU Extension instructors and JrMWV program coordinators Jasmine Harris-Speight, Mary Nelson Robertson and Ann Sansing submitted one of four applications that won funding through the UnitedHealthCare’s Empowering Health grants.

A major component of the JrMWV expansion will include a healthy teen summit to be held in April 2023. For more information on the program, visit https://extension.msstate.edu/jmwv.