Girls on the Run

Our Mission:

Girls on the Run is not just an after-school program; it’s a transformative experience designed specifically for 3rd to 8th-grade girls. We believe in nurturing their social, emotional, physical, and behavioral skills to help them become joyful, healthy, and confident individuals. Our innovative curriculum creatively integrates running with life lessons, empowering girls to navigate challenges and pursue their dreams boldly. By instilling lifelong values of health and fitness, we prepare them to embrace life’s adventures with resilience and determination. Each season culminates in a community service project and a local 5K race, symbolizing the girls’ achievements and commitment to making a positive impact.

Our Activities:

End-of-Season 5K Run: Our season reaches its climax with a non-competitive 5K event filled with joy and camaraderie. Girls set and accomplish running goals throughout the season, celebrating their progress alongside peers from other schools in the GOTR Greater Hartford community.

Community Impact Project: At the culmination of our 10-week program, each team selects a cause close to their hearts and designs a community impact project to address it. This hands-on experience teaches girls the power of helping others and ignites their belief in their ability to effect meaningful change. In a recent project, our girls crafted kits for donation to Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital, spreading joy and comfort to young patients.

After-School Practices: Twice a week, we lead two teams of third to fifth-grade girls in dynamic after-school practices in the New Haven community. As coaches, we inspire girls to tap into their inner strength, celebrate their uniqueness, and cultivate essential life skills through engaging lessons and physical activities.

Student Leaders:

• Juliana Surprenant – Coordinator/President

Mission

Girls on the Run is an after-school program designed to strengthen 3rd-8th grade girls’ social, emotional, physical, and behavioral skills. It inspires young girls to be joyful, healthy, and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum that creatively integrates running. By combining athletics with girls? empowerment at an especially vulnerable time in their development, the program aims to teach its participants critical life skills so that they are better prepared to successfully navigate life experiences and boldly pursue their dreams while also establishing a lifetime appreciation for health and fitness. At the end of each season, the team plans and executes a community service project and participates in a local 5K race.

Student Leaders

Adele Li – Co-Coordinator/Co-President Manon Rouillard – Co-Coordinator/Co-President

Activities

After School Practices Direct Service We coach two teams of third to eighth grade girls in the New Haven community twice a week. Practices typically involve character-building games and basic physical activity. As coaches, we inspire young girls to recognize their inner strength and celebrate their uniqueness. We inspire them to build confidence and other important life skills through dynamic, interactive lessons and physical exercise at each of our practices. End of Season 5K Run Direct Service Each season comes to an end with a joyful and fun non-competitive 5K (once at the end of each semester). Throughout the season, the girls train and set goals for their running stamina. We celebrate their efforts at our final 5K races with Yale coaches, running buddy volunteers, and Girls on the Run participants from other local schools. Community Impact Project Direct Service At the beginning of our season each semester, our team of students at the Truman School chooses an issue or cause that is important to them. They then design their own community impact project that aims to address their chosen issue. In choosing and designing a project, the girls learn the value of helping others and recognize their potential to make a positive difference in the world. Past projects have included putting together care packages for the New Haven children’s hospital and making toys for the local animal shelter. End of Season 5K Run Direct Service Each season comes to an end with a joyful and fun non-competitive 5K (once at the end of each semester). Throughout the season, the girls train and set goals for their running stamina. We celebrate their efforts at our final 5K races with Yale coaches, running buddy volunteers, and Girls on the Run participants from other local schools. After School Practice Direct Service We coach two teams of third to eighth grade girls in the New Haven community twice a week. Practices typically involve character-building games and basic physical activity. As coaches, we inspire young girls to recognize their inner strength and celebrate their uniqueness. We inspire them to build confidence and other important life skills through dynamic, interactive lessons and physical exercise at each of our practices. Community Impact Project Direct Service At the beginning of our season each semester, our team of students at the Truman School chooses an issue or cause that is important to them. They then design their own community impact project that aims to address their chosen issue. In choosing and designing a project, the girls learn the value of helping others and recognize their potential to make a positive difference in the world. Past projects have included putting together care packages for the New Haven children’s hospital and making toys for the local animal shelter. Twice-Weekly Practices Direct Service Twice a week, we lead exercise-based lessons at Truman School. Each practice has a different theme that centers around self-confidence, personal growth, and community connection. Over the semester, we help the girls gain confidence with exercise and prepare them for an end-of-season 5k. Community Impact Project Direct Service Each semester, participants of our program design and create a community impact project that impacts their community. End-of-Season 5k Direct Service At the end of each season, our students participate in a Girls on the Run 5k. Girls on the Run Advocacy or Activism As Yale’s Chapter of the larger national Girls on the Run Organization, we coach two teams of third to eighth grade girls in the New Haven community twice a week. Practices typically involve character-building games and general physical activity. As coaches, we aim to inspire young girls to recognize their inner strength, celebrate their uniqueness, and generate life-long healthy habits. We encourage them to build self-confidence and other important life skills such as adapting a growth mindset through dynamic, interactive lessons and exercise at each of our practices. The ultimate “training” goal is for the girls to run a 5K at the end of the semester.

How Others Get Involved

n/a – Since we are working with minors at local New Haven schools, mandatory trainings are required by law beforehand to participate.