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Our Approach
Girls
on the Run® councils across the United States and Canada serve
girls in their local communities under the umbrella of our parent
organization, Girls on the Run International. Our 24-lesson curriculum
is designed for 3rd – 8th grade girls and combines training
for a 5k run with lessons that inspire them to recognize and honor their
individual strengths and talents and to celebrate their inner selves.
The culminating event of the 12-week season is the opportunity for the
girls to participate in a non-competitive 5K running event. For most of
the girls, this is the first time that they have ever attempted a
physical goal of this magnitude and completion of the 5k provides an
incredible feeling of strength and a real sense of accomplishment.
The curriculum is designed to aid and support girls in their emotional, physical, social and intellectual development.
Expectations Girls
on the Run promotes physical, emotional, social and intellectual
development in 3rd through 8th grade girls. The girls complete the
12-week program with a stronger sense of identity, greater
self-confidence, a healthier body image and a better knowledge of what
it means to be a member of a team and a community.
Curriculum Structure
Each
of the twenty four Girls on the Run sessions adheres to a formal
structure that combines physical activities with experiential learning
activities.
Every session begins
with a getting-on-board and warm-up activity that brings the girls'
focus to the lesson topic. The warm-up is followed by a stretching
routine that allows for question and answer time and deeper discussions
around the topic. A work-out game follows, where the girls participate
in a variety of running activities that incorporate individual or team
goals. This is followed by a wrap-up that includes cool-down stretching
and final discussion. Each session closes with positive words from the
team coach regarding individual and group behaviors.
A sample lesson is attached.
Academic Evaluation
Girls
on the Run International has evaluated program efficacy since 2001.
Girls on the Run is currently the only positive youth development
program for girls with evidence-based results. Rita Debate, Ph.D., MPH,
CHES, developed a formal evaluation tool entitled “Girls on
the Run: An Assessment of Self-Esteem, Body Image and Eating
Attitudes.” Our evaluation is based on established and
well-known measurement tools including the Rosenburg Self-Esteem Scale,
Child/Adolescent Silhouette Rating Scale, and the Children’s
Eating Attitude Test.
Prior to
our program evaluation, the academic research in the area of girls and
sports reflected two contradictory results. Girls involved in athletics
have higher self-esteem and engage in fewer risky behaviors than girls
who are not. Conversely, girls who become highly competitive in some
sports (such as running, figure skating, gymnastics and other sports in
which slim body images are admired) have a higher incidence of eating
disorders than girls who are not involved in such sports. This poses a
dilemma that the Girls on the Run® curricula address.
Unlike
traditional athletic programs, the Girls on the Run curricula couple
physical activity with a whole-person philosophy to provide the positive
benefits of physical activity without increasing the risk of unhealthy
attitudes about body image and eating. Evaluation results show that
participation in Girls on the Run improves girls' self-esteem, body size
satisfaction, and physical activity behaviors to a statistically
significant extent. Also noted are positive changes regarding attitudes
towards physical activity, health behaviors, and empowerment.
2007 Academic Evaluation
2006 Academic Evaluation
2005 Academic Evaluation
2002 Academic Evaluation
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