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| | Subject: Girls on the Run | Posted: September 23, 2007 @ 11:45 AM | | I got this from a newsletter I subscribe to.......there is so much more to her story than the running......this article doesn't even talk about what really led her to found Girls on the Run.....But if anyone has free time.....coaching these young girls is so important.....
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September 20,2007
Molly Barker, MSW and four-time Hawaii Ironman triathlete, is a visionary. Using her expertise in counseling and teaching along with research on adolescent issues, she founded Girls on the Run® in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Molly began running at the age of 15 when she found herself stuck in the “girl box,” where only girls who are a certain size with a certain beauty are popular; where girls who want to fit in have to mold their bodies and their personalities to fit the requirements of the box.
Molly kept running. During a sunset run in 1993, she found the inspiration that grew into Girls on the Run®. In 1996, she developed the earliest version of the 24-lesson curriculum with the help of 13 brave girls. Twenty-six girls came the next season, then 75, and so the program grew. In 2000, Girls on the Run International, a 501(c)(3) organization, was born.
Today, there are Girls on the Run® programs in over 150 cities across North America, with tens of thousands of girls and women participating. In 2007, Girls on the Run® hosted over 70 end-of-season 5K events across the United States and Canada.
Molly and Girls on the Run® have been featured in many media outlets including People, Runner’s World, Redbook, Women’s Day, O Magazine, Running Times, CNN, MSNBC, ABC News, NBC News, NPR, ESPN and Forbes. Molly's role as a national speaker in Oprah Winfrey’s “Hi Gorgeous” tour added to her visibility as an outstanding role model for girls and women. In 2006, Molly was the recipient of several prestigious national awards including Redbook magazine’s “Strength and Spirit Award,” which recognizes individuals who are building a better future for all of us; the “Woman’s Day Award” from Woman’s Day magazine, which salutes individuals who have used their vision and heart to help fix pressing problems; and the highly prestigious “Heroes of Running Award” from Runner’s World magazine.
The Finish Line is Just the Beginning:
Girls on the Run is not just a sports program or another after-school activity. Their curriculum is the core of their program. They have two 12-week, 24-lesson curricula aimed at third through fifth grade girls (Girls on the Run) and one 12-week, 24-lesson curriculum aimed at sixth through eighth grade girls (Girls on Track).
Researched and “Track” Tested:
Molly Barker, MSW, and Dori Luke, LCSW, developed the curricula based on their professional experience, their research in the field of adolescent issues, and their “on-the-track” interaction with real girls. The curriculum is based in part on the research of Mario Fantini and Gerald Weinstein (Regaining Excellence in Education, Merrill, 1986), as well as 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 areas: lack of identity; lack of connectedness; and lack of voice in their lives. The GOTR curricula specifically address these concerns.
For more information, visit www.girlsontherun.org or contact the national office at info@girlsontherun.org or 800-901-9965. |
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