 what is gotr?staying true to YOU . . .GOTR is more than a program. It is a philosophy – a way of being. Girls on the Run is a life-changing character development program for girls in third through eighth grades (ages 8-14) that uses the power of running to teach every girl about her personal power and the importance of being healthy and active. We have two programs - Girls on the Run (GOTR) for girls in 3rd through 5th grade, and Girls on Track (GOT) for girls in 6th through 8th grade. The after-school programs combine training to participate in a running event with self-esteem enhancing, uplifting workouts and a community service project. The goal of the programs is to encourage positive emotional, social, mental, spiritual and physical development. Furthermore, we encourage participants to talk with their families every day about what is going on with them. The 10-week curriculum attempts to help each girl find and stay true to her REAL self. our mission . . .Our mission is to inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running. Over a period of ten weeks, groups of up to 15 girls meet with volunteer coaches after school twice a week for fun workouts combined with life lessons such as goal setting and decision making. Throughout the weeks, the girls train and prepare for a 3.1-mile (5K) run that builds self-esteem and pride. We strive to develop stronger, more confident girls who truly love and believe in themselves thus resulting in 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. our core values . . .Girls on the Run honors its core values. We strive to:
the research behind it all . . .The 24-lesson curriculum was first copyrighted in 1998 by Molly Barker, GOTR founder and vision keeper. The topics covered over the 10 weeks are based on the work of Mario Fantini and Gerald Weinsten (Fantini, Regaining Excellence in Education, 1986) who found the problems expressed by students fall into three classifications: lack of identity, lack of connectedness and feelings of powerlessness (i.e. lack of control over one’s own life, not to be confused with exerting power over other people). Thus, the GOTR curricula are designed to help girls develop a positive identity, gain connectedness through their membership on a team, and learn to unleash their personal power by learning to honor their voices, celebrate their bodies and recognize the gifts they have to offer society. While many issues facing girls today are the same as those at the inception of the GOTR curriculum, the curricula continue to be revised as the critical issues facing girls evolve over time to include topics such as internet safety, social networking and collaborative leadership.
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