PLAY! project leader Finnish Multicultural Sports Federation (FIMU) and the University of Jyväskylä have joined forces to train Youth Active Groups (YAGs) in Finland.

The department of Physical Education of the university will provide pedagogical and methodological support in training the YAGs in the Scandinavian country.

The work will be led by professor Taru Lintunen and doctoral student Hanna-Mari Toivonen, who developed, implemented and evaluated a responsibility-based training program for novice physical activity instructors.

The methodological framework to be used is based on Don Hellison’s Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility through Physical Activity (TPSR) model, aimed at helping on the social and personal development of children and youth. The model also aims to help children and youth transfer these self-regulatory and prosocial behaviors to other settings, such as at home or in school.