|
The 12 week program combines self-esteem enhancing life-lessons, discussions, and running games in an encouraging, girl-positive environment where girls can feel free to express themselves and build their confidence. The goal of Girls on the Run is to empower girls early in their lives to find strength, courage and self-respect from within and draw upon it as they face the challenges of adolescence and adulthood.
The Girls on the Run program is based on the belief that it is critical to reach girls at this early age to prepare them for adolescence and prevent at-risk behaviors such as eating disorders, substance abuse, depression, obesity, and promiscuity.
Girls today face dangers... "ideal girl = skinny girl" Girls are being told time and again by the media and our society that being emaciated is chic. "just say no is not cool" Women are beginning to smoke at younger ages. Most smokers begin tobacco use between the 6th and 9th grades and today’s girls are 15x more likely than their mothers to begin using illicit drugs by age 15. "what's the point?" One in four girls exhibit depressive symptoms and girls are twice as likely as boys to experience depression during adolescence. Some issues that Girls on the Run sessions address are:
Girls on the Run uses the physical activity of running in combination with these life lessons because studies show that females who participate in physical activities or sports experience higher levels of self esteem and confidence, as well as lower levels of depression than those who do not. Exercise has also shown to boost girls' self -esteem by offering them tangible experience of competency and success. To this end, throughout the program, the girls train to run or walk in a 3.1 mile community running event. Finally, the program emphasizes the importance of contributing to the community. In the last weeks, the girls use the skills they have developed to design and carry out a group community service project.
|
Girls on the Run is a national preventative program for pre-adolescent girls (ages 8-11) that strengthens girls physically, emotionally, and socially in preparation for the upcoming pressures of adolescence. 
