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- The programs run two times per year. Fall (September to December) and Spring (January to April)
- The program meets two times per week for 12 weeks for an hour each class
- It is a 12-week, 24 lesson, 3-part curriculum based on extensive educational research
- The lessons in Part 1 are about self-discovery and exploring personal values and goals
- Part 2 lessons teach team-building skills like cooperation and supporting one another
- Part 3 lessons focus on finding a place and voice in the community
- Certified Girls on the Run coaches (women 18-60+) teach the program
- Girls conduct a community service project of their choice and complete the training with a non-competitive running event.
- We will have, at least, 2 coaches at each site
- All of our coaches are provided with a very well developed, well-researched curriculum that has been used successfully by GOTR many times throughout the country
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Molly Barker, M.S.W., founder of Girls on the Run, developed the curricula based upon her professional experience, her research in the field of adolescent issues, and her interactions with real, live girls. The first curriculum was partly based on the research of Mario Fantini and Gerald Weinstein (Regaining Excellence in Education, Merrill, 1986) and on the work of Mary Pipher (Reviving Ophelia) and Carol Gilligan (Meeting at the Crossroads). Fantini and Weinstein found that adolescents' greatest issues fell into three categories: lack of identity; lack of connectedness; and lack of voice in their lives. The Girls on the Run curricula specifically addresses these issues. This original curriculum was later revised to address Molly's and other coaches' experiences of delivering the programs.
Research Supporting Girls on the Run Curriculum:
Research shows a "statistically significant" improvement in body image, eating attitudes and self-esteem of the girls who participate in this program according to research conducted by Dr. Rita DeBate, PhD, MPH, CHES, and assistant professor in Health Behavior at UNC-Charlotte.
In spring 2002, Girls on the Run International contracted with Dr. DeBate to develop an evaluation tool entitled "Girls on the Run: An Assessment of Self-Esteem, Body Image and Eating Attitudes." This evaluation tool was piloted at several sites across the country. Prior to running this pilot, Dr. DeBate identified a dilemma when reviewing the academic research in the area of girls and sports. On the one hand, girls involved in athletics have higher self-esteem and engage in fewer risky behaviors and on the other hand, girls who are highly competitive in sports where slim body images are admired have higher incidences of eating disorders. Dr. DeBate believes that the Girls on the Run curricula may solve this dilemma in addition to decreasing the numbers of girls with body image disturbances and low self-esteem.
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