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Washington-Monroe Elementary school
girls, their coaches, and families celebrated the spring season of
Girls on the Run (GOTR) with a practice 5k on April 29 in
preparation for the official GOTR Central Illinois 5k and
Celebration in Springfield on May 17. Girls on the Run is an
international non-profit that organizes “fun, evidence-based
programs that inspire participants to recognize their inner
strength, increase their level of physical activity, imagine their
possibilities, and confidently stand up for themselves and others.”
GOTR is for girls in the third through fifth grade with a mission to
inspire “individuals of all abilities to discover, build, and grow
their self-confidence. Together, they experience a sense of
belonging and connection as a team. Volunteer coaches facilitate
lessons that blend physical activity with life skill development,
including managing emotions, fostering friendships, and expressing
empathy. At the end of the season, the team completes a Community
Impact Project and a 5K together, which provides a tangible sense of
accomplishment and sets a confident mindset into motion.”
The girls meet after school twice a week for a ten week season to
participate in interactive lessons to build confidence, character,
care, connections, competence, and contribution, followed by
exercises to increase physical fitness and to prepare for completing
a 5 kilometer race. GOTR also operates Heart and Sole for girls in
the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades.
The GOTR head coach at Washington-Monroe Elementary school is fifth
grade teacher Kyrsten Weaver. Weaver reports, “We have 31 girls
participating this season. We focus on uplifting girls, positive
relationships, and healthy habits. We want the girls to know they
can be strong, kind, and encouraging in all areas of their lives!
This year all of the girls completed the practice 5K within the time
limit and received certificates and a Dole Whip, donated by Top Hat
Creamery. They are representing our Washington-Monroe community so
well and working hard to accomplish both our athletic and relational
goals.” The assistant coaches at Washington-Monrow are Carissa
O'Donoghue, Jeris Bender, Ashley Van Wie, Chloe Laubenstein, and Ama
LaCroix.
Founded in 1996, Girls on the Run International is a nonprofit that
has served more than 2 million girls across North America. According
to their website “Girls on the Run programs are about so much more
than running – they make an impact at a critical age when confidence
and physical activity decline.” Independent studies and peer
reviewed articles reveal that in participating in GOTR “97% of girls
learned critical life skills including resolving conflict, helping
others and making intentional decisions” and there was a “40%
increase in physical activity among girls who were least active at
the program’s start.”
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The Central
Illinois chapter of GOTR serves Brown, Cass, Christian, DeWitt,
Logan, Macon, Mason, McLean, Menard, Montgomery, Morgan, Peoria,
Sangamon, Scott, and Tazewell counties. Since 2004, Girls on the
Run Central Illinois has impacted over 12,000 girls, involved
over 5000 volunteers, and organized 5 GOTR camps.
GOTR expanded to Logan County in 2012. Since then, GOTR has held
programs at Chester East Lincoln, Central Elementary, Northwest
Elementary, Washington-Monroe Elementary, West Lincoln-Broadwell,
and Carroll Catholic School, as well as Mt. Pulaski Grade
School, New Holland-Middletown, Emden Grade School, and Olympia
South. Seven of those schools were still active in 2019, but
since the Covid-19 pandemic only Washington-Monroe and
Chester-East Lincoln have restarted the program for their girls.
Program Manager for GOTR Central
Illinois Darian Brown says, “Girls on the Run of Central Illinois is
looking forward to serving more Lincoln and Logan County girls next
school year. This coming fall our new curriculum Hello, Bold Heart!
will equip participants to build their Heart Power – the confidence
to boldly share their thoughts, ideas, and feelings. We are
currently recruiting new program sites for the fall season. We would
love to resume our previous partnerships with Lincoln schools and
expand to new schools and areas of the community.”
GOTR welcomes community volunteers to serve as coaches for fall and
spring seasons as well as 5k volunteers for registration, medal and
water stations, and cheer teams. Volunteers may serve as individuals
or in groups and may volunteer for one day or for a season. For more
information on this excellent program, click
here.
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