Mission
To educate and prepare girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living.

History
Since starting its inaugural program with 12 participants in the Fall of 2007, Girls on the Run of Portland Metro, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and an independent council of Girls on the Run International, has grown into a council that will serve more than 135 participants in 2010. The goal is to continue to expand the program's reach so it is accessible to all preteen girls in the Portland Metro area who desire to participate.

About
Girls on the Run of Portland Metro is a life-changing, experiential learning program for girls in grades 3rd – 5th. The 12-week programs combine training for a 3.1 mile running event with self-esteem enhancing, uplifting workouts. The goals of the programs are to encourage positive emotional, social, mental, spiritual and physical development. Each week, participants learn important life skills while completing a physical activity. The program culminates in a non-competitive community 5K run/walk event which gives the girls a chance to shine and feel an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.

Objectives
The Girls on the Run objective is to reduce the potential display of at-risk activities among its preteen participants. The goal is fewer adolescent pregnancies and eating disorders, less depression and suicide attempts, as well as fewer substance/alcohol abuse problems and confrontations with the juvenile justice system.

Vision

• To support a network of Girls on the Run sites across the Portland Metro area
• To provide quality and life-changing programming for girls and women, and to provide quality and life-changing experiences to the women involved in the delivery and development of the program as well
• To promote an environment that allows girls and women to reach their full potential
• To enhance the lives of all involved in the program
• To assist in nothing less than a complete transformation in the way girls and women perceive themselves and their place in society.

Girls on the Run International
Molly Barker, Founder and Vision Keeper of Girls on the Run International, founded Girls on the Run in Charlotte, NC in 1996. Today, there are Girls on the Run programs in over 150 cities across North America, with tens of thousands of girls and women participating each year.