Putting Mississippi on the Map with PALS

Mississippi has officially joined the Physical Activity Learning Sessions (PALS) movement, becoming the 23rd state to adopt this training program. Designed for early care and education (ECE) settings, PALS equips educators, health trainers, and technical assistance support staff with practical tools to promote physical activity best practice in early childhood settings. 

On April 27, 2026, Mississippi kicked off its PALS journey with a statewide training that brought together 30 ECE advocates for a day of learning, connection, and movement. Participants included Mississippi Farm to School Network staff, Head Start directors from the North, Delta, South, and Tribal regions of the state, Mississippi Department of Human Services coaches, and many other partners dedicated to helping children ages 0-5 build healthy habits early in life. By the end of the training, each attendee became a certified PALS trainer, equipped and ready to bring these tools back to their communities.

The hands-on kickoff event was hosted by Brewers’ Vegetable Farm in Greenwood, offering a space that naturally brought connections between health, food, and community. Attendees also enjoyed a fresh, homegrown lunch prepared by Shivers Good Eats of Clarksdale, grounding the day in good food and local flavors. 

Thanks to support from the Healthy Kids, Healthy Future Technical Assistance Program, this work is just getting started. With a growing network of trained facilitators, Mississippi is ready to expand PALS trainings statewide and support ECE providers in creating more active, engaging early childhood classrooms. 

Want to sign up your team for PALS training? Contact us! We would love to help you get started. Let’s get movin’, Mississippi!