(Madison, WI): Girls on the Run of South Central Wisconsin is gearing up for another season to kick off this fall. Registration for participants will begin on August 1. The fall season will run from September 13 – November 6, 2021.
Girls on the Run inspires girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running.
GOTR is for ALL girls in grades 3-5
This fall, GOTR of South Central Wisconsin will serve over 600 girls and after 8 weeks of training with their inspiring volunteer coaches, they will be ready to run a celebratory 5K event – a run that gives the girls a tangible sense of achievement and a framework for setting and achieving life goals. The girls experience joy, health, and confidence through running.
Thanks to generous donors and community supporters, they offer a sliding scale fee structure, making financial assistance available to anyone and making GOTR accessible for all.
Social Skills & Community Impact
Meeting twice a week in small teams, Girls on the Run teaches life skills through engaging lessons and fun movement and running activities. The curriculum is taught by certified Girls on the Run coaches and helps each girl celebrate her unique strengths and realize her power to change the world.
During the program, each team creates and executes a local community impact project to demonstrate the unimaginable strength that comes from helping others. Finally, at each season’s conclusion, the girls and their running buddies complete a celebratory 5k running event that gives the girls a tangible sense of achievement and a framework for setting and achieving life goals.
Volunteer to Coach a Team
A Girls on the Run Coach is a volunteer position that works with a team of coaches to facililtate the Girls on the Run curriculum to program participants. Coaches commit approximately 2-4 hours per week for the 8 week season. They welcome coaches from all backgrounds, ages, abilities, and gender identities. No coaching or running experience necessary. Coaches are parents, teachers, school administrators, college students and other community members who are committed to developing and celebrating our girls.
GOTR provides coaches with the certified GOTR curriculum books and detailed lesson plans as well as all the supplies and materials needed to confidently deliver each practice. Coaches will have outstanding support from GOTR staff, including coach training, CPR/First Aid certification and timely communication throughout the season.
If you are interested in bringing GOTR to your community, or have any questions about coaching, contact [email protected].
What to expect by the end of the program:
- Develop and improve social, emotional and physical competence
- Feel confident in who they are
- Develop strong character
- Respond to others and oneself with care and compassion
- Create positive connections with peers and caring adults
- Make a meaningful contribution to their community
- Set and achieve the goal of completing a 5K running event
The Impact of Girls on the Run
Many studies suggest that physical activity-based positive youth development programs like Girls on the Run make significant contributions to improved social and emotional outcomes such as enhanced life and social skills, moral development, goal-related skills, and personal values. In addition to supporting healthy development, these types of programs also help to address risk factors for youth and prevent problem behaviors.
Why it Matters
- By age 9, girls’ self-confidence begins to decline. At the same time, girls’ physical activity rates begin to decrease and continue to decline throughout adolescence
- 50% of girls ages 10 to 13 experience bullying such as name calling and exclusion at a time when peer relationships become more central to girls’ lives.
- There is a substantial and growing body of research pointing to the positive academic, social and emotional outcomes associated with participation in quality afterschool programs. However, there is limited access to quality afterschool programs, especially in areas of concentrated poverty. In fact, for every child in an afterschool program, approximately two more children would be enrolled if a program were available to them.
- 1 in 3 girls say they are afraid to be a leader for fear of others thinking she is bossy.
- 30% of girls who have a grade point average above 4.0 do not think they are smart enough for their dream career
“Girls on the Run has changed my life. When I first started, I thought it was all about running, but it’s about making the right decisions in life. Girls on the Run taught me to make wise decisions, and to love myself and be proud of myself. Girls on the Run has been an inspiration.” – Spirit, 11
