Boys. Young women in Girls on the Run try to help themselves physically and emotionally.
The program, a 10-week course offered twice a year, helps girls gain self-confidence, life skills and the importance of physical activity.
“We work as a vehicle for teaching these girls about life skills and how to set and achieve goals,” said Claire Johnson, chief executive.
At the end of the event, the girls took part in the 5 km race. The team is preparing for the autumn season, which starts on September 11 and ends on November 13.
There are two Northern States Girls on the Run programs with different curricula. One is for girls in the third, fourth and fifth grades. Another, called Corazón y Suela, is for girls in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades. This program is used to prepare girls for high school entry.
Johnson and her staff ensure that the program is available to every girl who wants to participate, regardless of her financial situation. Helping girls costs about $200, but the program offers a smaller scale.
“Thanks to the local organizations, the Active 2030 Club, the Soroptimists and the Exchange Club who helped offset the costs so that this was not a hindrance,” Johnson said. “Research shows that school work is important for a child to learn and grow, and to build self-confidence. We don't want to reject anyone."
The girls meet two days a week for an hour and a half on the school campus and learn life skills. They ran and played and each lesson had a theme for the day. The subjects can be positive self-talk or negative self-talk. They learn what positive self-talk looks like and how to turn negative thoughts into positive ones. Combine life skills with physical activity.
Girls also participate in social programs such as collecting coats for those in need. The girls completed projects on campus, rescued cats and dogs, and wrote thank you letters to firefighters and teachers.
"They're learning that it's not just them and learning how to make a difference in their community," Johnson said. "Every girl does something different, like making new friends."
Maya English, 19, is a student at Chico State and is an intern at Girls on the Run. He graduated from the program himself, completing it while still in elementary school.
“It was a lot of fun and it's another side of the girls runaway. Interesting to see how it works behind the scenes. I love it,” English said of his apprenticeship.
This program is very helpful in the development of English.
“I think it taught me how to express my thoughts and voice when something bothered me,” says English. “There is a healthy balance between mind and body. He helped me realize that running can be therapeutic. He had an influence on me that I didn't realize when I was younger. It helps me deal with conflicts and emotions. We learn how to be ourselves. express your thoughts and control your choices. You can't control other people, but you can understand yourself and take steps to communicate and communicate positively."
This season, English will be the coach and will help the team create packages, help out on social media and distribute flyers.
"When I was younger, I admired coaches," he said. "I want it to be a positive experience for the girls so that I can teach them what I have learned and apply it to my life."
Applications for Fall 2023 are now being accepted at participating schools on a first come, first served basis. This program is offered to young women from Butte, Glenn, Yuba, Sutter, and Siskiyou counties. The Girls on the Run website can be found at www.gotnorthstate.org. The spring 2024 application deadline is October 31.