Bring Girls on the Run to Your School

As Girls on the Run® of Stark County begins preparations for their Spring 2015 season, they are asking elementary and middle schools, as well as other interested community organizations, in Stark County, Ohio to start submitting site applications.

“In 2014, with the help of over 150 coaches, we were able to make a positive difference in the lives of nearly 600 girls,” states GOTR of Stark County’s Council Director, Amy Shock. She adds, “We’re excited to see what 2015 will bring.”

Girls on the Run provides the snacks, supplies, and curriculum needed to provide the program. There is no fee for sites to provide the program. To host a program, sites must supply safe dedicated outdoor and indoor spaces and are requested to provide at least 2 coaches for the program. If a site does not have enough coaches, Girls on the Run will help recruit them.

Over a period of 10 weeks, girls in the 3rd through 5th and 6th through 8th grade participate in an after-school program like no other. Designed to allow every girl to recognize her inner strength, the Girls on the Run curriculum inspires girls to define their lives on their own terms. Throughout the season, the girls make new friends, build their confidence and celebrate all that makes them unique.

The Girls on the Run lessons encourage positive emotional, social, mental and physical development. Participants explore and discuss their own beliefs around experiences and challenges girls face at this age, including bullying, peer pressure, choosing the right friends, making healthy decisions, and contributing to the community. They also develop important strategies and skills to help them navigate life experiences.

Physical activity is woven into our program to inspire an appreciation of fitness and to build habits that lead to a lifetime of health. At the end the season, the girls participate in the GOTR 5K Run/Walk. Completing the 5K gives the girls a tangible understanding of the confidence that comes through accomplishment as well as a framework for setting and achieving life goals. Crossing the finish line is a defining moment when the girls realize that even the seemingly impossible IS possible.

The next Girls on the Run season begins the week of March 9 and wraps up with the Girls on the Run 5k Run/Walk on May 30 at Walsh University. “We are very grateful to the teachers, parents, and community members who volunteer at each program site and for the continued support of the local schools that provide our program,” says Shock. “We would love to add new sites in the community this spring so we can reach even more girls with our life-changing program.”

All sites interested in submitting an application to provide the program at their location should contact Amy Shock by phone at 330-244-9331 or by email at amy.shock@girlsontherun.org. Coach training sessions are available in December 2014 and January 2015.

For more information about hosting a program at your site, visit www.GOTRStarkCty.org. The deadline to submit site applications is January 15, 2015.

Girls on the Run of Stark County is a 501(c)3 nonprofit council of GOTR International. Our mission is inspiring girls to be joyful, healthy, and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum that creatively integrates running. GOTR programs are offered spring in Stark County. For more information on starting a program or volunteer opportunities, contact Amy Shock at 330-244-9331 or visit www.gotrstarkcty.org.