A groundbreaking national public health initiative targeting rising childhood sedentary behavior kicked off this Friday in northern Barbados, with St Lucy Primary School earning the distinction of being the first participating institution to benefit from the new program, dubbed Project ACTIVE.
Organized through a collaborative partnership between three leading Barbadian health organizations—the Barbados Physical Therapy Association (BPTA), the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and the Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition—the launch day treated the school’s youngest students to a full afternoon of structured, playful physical activity designed to make moving feel like fun rather than a chore.
In an interview with Barbados TODAY, lead project coordinator and practicing physiotherapist Marita Marshall outlined the core mission that drives the initiative: to embed sustainable, healthy lifestyle habits in children from an early age, while reframing physical exercise as an engaging, enjoyable activity rather than a requirement. Unlike many public health programs that focus exclusively on nutrition, Project ACTIVE is built to complement existing school wellness policies already in place across the island, adding a critical physical activity component that brings together students, parents and educators to prioritize whole-child wellness.
As childhood sedentary behavior—driven in large part by growing screen time and recreational phone use—has become an increasing public health concern across Barbados, Marshall emphasized that early intervention is key to turning the tide on rising childhood inactivity rates and associated long-term health risks. “Our slogan is healthy habits, happy kids,” Marshall explained. “We really want to get away from children sitting on their phones playing all day, getting them to understand that exercise and physical activity can be fun. It is good for you. It is healthy, and it also supports the existing school nutrition policy that promotes healthy eating in schools.”
Following the successful launch at St Lucy Primary, the project team will roll out in-person activations at two additional primary schools over the coming weeks. The next stop is scheduled for Irvine Wilson School on June 5, with a third activation planned for Blackman Gollop Primary School on June 25. Beyond in-school events, organizers are preparing to launch an islandwide online competition to expand participation beyond the education system, encouraging Barbadians of all ages to increase their daily physical activity. Marshall noted that the goal of the public-facing competition is to drive widespread engagement across the entire country, not just among school-aged children.
Project organizers have encouraged members of the public to follow the BPTA’s official social media channels to receive real-time updates on the upcoming online competition, as well as announcements about future project activations across the island. Both teaching staff from St Lucy Primary and the core Project ACTIVE team joined students for the launch day activities, with young learners from Reception, Infants A and Infants B classes taking part in friendly, active challenges to kick off the national initiative.