Girls build confidence and leadership in Girls on the Run
Every spring and fall, the Whatcom Family YMCA gathers girls in third through fifth grades to talk about challenges girls face, teach them to recognize their inner strengths and build up their confidence and a love of running.
Girls on the Run is a 10-week program, based on an international curriculum, that has grown to be hugely popular in Whatcom County schools.
Participants meet one or two times per week, and talk about different topics, play games that involve running and hopefully grow as people.
“I would say above all else, they’re learning to accept themselves just how they are,” says Jen Gallant, who has helped coordinate the program for more than a decade. “So often they get to middle school and they’re trying to fit in and be like somebody else that they might think is better. But we’re teaching them to love themselves just how they are.”
The spring session starts March 20 and goes through June 3, when the girls finish the program with a celebration and a noncompetitive 5K at Lake Padden Park.
Girls on the Run is offered in each school district in the county and at most elementary schools.
Most days the girls run about 1.5 to 3 miles, which is all incorporated into games and activities, Gallant said.
For example, the girls might run around the track while thinking about a certain topic they’ve discussed, then stop to tell a coach what they’ve been thinking about during each lap.
The girls also learn how to work as a team, get along with others and develop their leadership skills.
Each session of girls works on a community service project, which in the past has included things such as helping out at senior centers, picking up litter and helping clean up beaches.
A lot of girls come back to do the program again, Gallant said.
“I think the girls it really speaks to are the ones who don’t maybe enjoy competitive sports as much,” she said.
How to sign up
Girls on the Run costs $95 per 10-week session for YMCA members and $100 per session for program members (who also need to pay a $25 annual fee to become a program member) to meet one time per week.
For two times per week, the cost is $120 for YMCA members and $125 for program members. The cost includes a T-shirt, healthy snacks and registration for the Girls on the Run 5k.
“That’s good forever,” Gallant says. “If they’ve participated before, they’re always welcome to run the 5k with us.”
Scholarships are available.
Applications for the program and for scholarships can be found at the Whatcom Family YMCA (1256 N. State St., Bellingham) or online at WhatcomYMCA.org/girls-on-the-run.
This story was originally published March 21, 2017 at 3:24 PM with the headline "Girls build confidence and leadership in Girls on the Run."