Girls on the Run is a nonprofit organization that was established in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1996. It was designed to help give young girls joy, confidence and the keys to a healthy lifestyle. The first season of Girls on the Run featured 13 participants. The second year saw 26 and the third, 75.
Now, Girls on the Run is an internationally recognized 501c3 that has served over 1 million girls. There are branches of the organization in over 200 cities across North America which collectively serve 130,000 third through eighth-grade girls annually. These girls learn about self-worth, health and helping others through a 24-lesson curriculum that involves running and other outdoor, team activities.
The curriculum is broken down into three parts: understanding ourselves, valuing relationships and teamwork and understanding how we connect with and shape the world at large. Teams of 8-15 girls meet twice a week over the course of 10 weeks to practice these lessons through running activities while training for the end-of-the-season 5k race.
The 5k helps girls to realize that they can do anything that they set their minds to. They also learn that nobody can limit what they can accomplish.
For more information on Girls on the Run of Northwest Indiana, visit foundationsec.org
