Preschool students around the territory will learn “physical literacy” as part of a new programme that is scheduled to continue through the school year, according to Government Information Services.

Health and Social Development Minister Calvin Malone recently signed an agreement with the Canada-based non-profit Sport for Life Society to develop the initiative.

Coordinated by Mr. Malone’s ministry and the BVI Olympic Committee, the programme will train early-child-care providers and teachers to evaluate the effectiveness of the project in increasing physical activity in young people, according to GIS.

Ivy George, coordinator of Health Promotion Services in the ministry, said the programme will also increase awareness of “physical literacy” in the territory while encouraging physical activity.

The initiative will be held in four phases at “identified schools” in the territory that government did not name, according to GIS.

Education, training and assessments will be carried out by the Sport for Life Society in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth Af- fairs, Fisheries and Agriculture.

The programme began last month and will conclude in July 2020.

Sport for Life works to “create cross-sectional partnerships between sport, education, recreation and health while aligning community, physical activity programming and more,” according to government.

For more information call the HSD Ministry at 468-2274.