Mission

Girls on the Run inspires girls to be joyful, healthy, and confident using fun, experience-based curricula that creatively integrates running. Girls on the Run is the only national physical activity-based, positive youth development (PA-PYD) program for girls with an evidence-based curriculum, trained coaches, and a commitment to serving all girls. As the only out-of-school time program of its kind, Girls on the Run underscores the important connection between physical and emotional health and empowers adolescent girls to build healthy physical and mental habits that last a lifetime. Evidence shows that Girls on the Run makes a stronger impact than organized and physical education programs in teaching life skills such as managing emotions, resolving conflict, helping others, and making intentional decisions. It strengthens a sense of confidence in girls while fostering care and compassion for self and others. The program’s intentional suite of curricula is designed to enhance girls’ social, psychological, and physical skills and behaviors to successfully navigate life experiences through an emphasis on the development of competence, confidence, connection, character, caring, and contribution in young girls. Trained, caring, and qualified coaches deliver the life skills curriculum by guiding small teams of girls through twice-a-week lessons that promote social-emotional learning concurrently with physical activity. The program culminates with girls positively impacting their communities through a service project and completing a celebratory, non-competitive 5K event providing the framework for confidence through accomplishment and to be the author of her story.