FAQ's

Frequently Asked Questions About
Girls On The Run Marin

How do you know it works?
In order to evaluate our procedures we will administer a pre and a post-test of all participants to measure attitudinal changes.  The GOTR International Program results to date show improved sense of identity, healthier body image, and increasingly active lifestyles among this population. 

What about a program for boys?
Why only girls? We know that boys are in as much crisis as girls. However, much of our program cover issues relating to girls and women. We believe that the effectiveness of the program is based on our personal experiences being women and our ability to role model and mentor the girls in the program. 

What is the GOTR Program?
The GOTR program is a 10-12 week, two sessions per week, program of life lessons through clever and fun running workouts.  A three-part curriculum is taught by certified GOTR coaches:

* Part 1 - Understand themselves and setting personal goals;
* Part 2 - Learning skills to get a long in a group; and
* Part 3 - Examining their responsibility to the community.
Girls choose and conduct a community service project and complete a 1 or 3.1 mile running event with their team members. 

Why the young age?
Studies show that girls between the ages of eight and fourteen are still receptive to adult influence, while beginning to feel peer pressure. It's an age psychologists call the latency period of development when girls begin to confront important life and relationship issues.  As a prevention program, Girls On The Run initiates healthy decision making about difficult issues and really talking to their parents/caretakers before it's too late.
In addition, learning healthy exercise habits early in life increases the changes that participants will value their own physical fitness as adults. It's well documented that regular, moderate exercise improves cardiovascular functioning, and reduces the risk of developing breast cancer, osteoporosis (brittle bones), and obesity.
A variation of the Girls On The Run program (Girls On Track) has proven positive with middle school participants. 

Girls on Track 6th-8th grades

Part I All About Me . . . Getting to know who I am and What I stand for

Session 1. Getting to know each other
To provide participants with the opportunity to learn each other's names and learn more about each other.

Session 2. Setting our Life Goals
To get the girls thinking about what some of their short-term and long-term goals are, and what they could be doing now to achieve those goals.

Session 3. Giving my body what it needs
To discuss the importance of healthy eating and moderation
To learn about the importance of physical fitness
To discuss when too much exercise is a bad thing

Session 4. Normal Eating Versus Disordered Eating
To discuss eating disorders and how they are damaging to the self and family
To get girls thinking about how body shape and size is strongly affected by heredity
To have girls write about what they like about their bodies and what they can do to improve their body image

Session 5. Emotional Health and Dealing with Anger
To teach participants the importance of expressing their emotions
To teach participants that uncomfortable emotions, such as anger, sorrow, and frustration are not "bad" or unhealthy" in and of themselves.
To learn how they personally deal with and express their emotions

Session 6. Finding the Spirit in me
To introduce participants to the concept of spirituality (as opposed to religion)
To begin the process of finding their own spiritual basis and learning the benefits of quiet time and relaxation

Session 7. Drugs Suck!  The Life out of you
To get the girls thinking about the impact drugs could have on their lives.
To educate the girls about why it is so important to stay away from all drugs

Session 8. What are my Values?
To learn how to recognize personal values
To increase understanding of how personal values affect lifestyle decisions
To explore similarities and difference among the group members' personal values

Part II. Building My Team . . . Understanding the Importance of Cooperation

Session 9. Positive Self-Talk is Key
To learn about cognitive distortions that often make us think negatively about ourselves
To lea5n how to overcome those negative thoughts when they are getting us down

Session10. Building our Trust in the Team
To begin the process of team building with the girls
To build trust among the team members

Session 11. Friendship and Listening
To introduce participants to the key principles of good listening
To discuss the important qualities of being a good friend
To have participants practice good listening skills by designing a workout that will best reveal the talents and likes of their individual teams members

Session 12. Gossip Hurts Everyone
To communicate the destructive nature of gossip
To understand that gossip hurts both the person about whom the gossip is being spread and the person who is spreading it
To gain a better understanding of why people gossip and how not to be a part of it

Session 13. Popularity and Cliques
To learn the different ways girls can be popular, and to determine whether "real" popularity or "surface" popularity makes for a better friend
To define the important points to picking good friends

Session 14.  It's all about self-respect
To lean the definition of self-respect
To discuss the similarities and differences between the qualities we look for in a boyfriend versus a best friend

Session 16. Doing a 5-KM!
To give the girls as much time is needed to either run or walk a 5 km. (3.1 miles)

Part III. Community Begins with Me . . . Learning about community: How it Impacts us and How we can impact it

Session 17.  Just Playing
To provide participants with an opportunity to simply PLAY!

Session 18. The Importance of setting Priorities
To have the girls make a list of all their top priorities
To encourage their thinking about the importance of recognizing priorities
To build the team as they work together in designing a workout that maximizes individual strengths

Session 19. Assertiveness and Sexual Harassment
To teach the girls the difference between flirting and sexual harassment
To give them tools on what to do if they are being harassed
To learn how to use the assertiveness statement, "I feel . . . because . . ., and I need you to . . ."

Session 20. Media Awareness and You
To teach some of the tactics the media uses to get our attention
To learn what we can to when we are upset by media tactics

Session 21. Determining the Community Project
To determine and finalize what the group's community project will be

Session 22. Doing the Community Project
To work diligently on the community project, and to have fun!!

Session 23. The finishing touches
To enjoy the last official day of Girls on Track before the closing banquet
To provide feedback to the coach about what they learned form Girls on Track and about what they liked and didn't like about Girls on Track.
To see how fast the entire group can run a 5 km

Session 24. Celebration:  The Banquet!

Girls on the Run 3-5th grades

Session 1:  To learn each girls names, likes and dislikes and to determine running abilities.

Session 2:  To introduce the concept of respecting each other through listening, cooperating, and taking time to pay attention.  To learn the promises that are important in helping groups operate efficiently.

Session 3:  To teach the importance of assessing their current behaviors/ways they think.  To learn how to change the behaviors that need improvement.  To take the GOTR pre-test in order to provide pre-program participant attitudes towards parents, school themselves and ethical values.

Session 4:  To introduce participants to the concept of physical fitness.  To teach the basics of healthy nutrition, healthy habits and the importance of physical activity.

Session 5:  To teach the importance of expressing their emotions.  To teach the concept that uncomfortable emotions, such as anger, sorrow and frustration are not "bad" or "unhealthy" in and of themselves.  How they are expressed, however, may be unhealthy.  To learn how they personally express and deal with their emotions.

Session 6:  To begin the process of finding their own spiritual basis and learning the benefits of quiet time.

Session 7:  To learn the major effects of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana.  To gain a better understanding of why people use drugs.  To begin to develop their individual strategy for never trying drugs.

Session 8:  To explore personal values and understand the importance of standing up for them.  To discuss behaviors that may undermine adherence to their personal values.  To have the girls run their first 5km. or 35 minute run/walk.

Session 9:  To introduce participants to several key concepts regarding cooperation.  To gain a general understanding of the importance of communication in improving cooperation with in a group.

Session 10:  To introduce the key principles of good listening. To practice good listening skills by designing a workout that will best reveal the running preferences of their team members.

Session 11:  To learn the mechanics of healthy decision-making. To actually use these "mechanics" in making decisions that will positively affect the group.

Session 12:  To communicate the destructive nature of gossip. To understand that gossip hurts both the person about whom the gossip is being spread and the person who is spreading it.  To gain a better understanding of why people gossip and how not to be a part of it.

Session 13:  To understand the importance of maintaining a realistic but positive attitude.  To experience the difference between negative and positive reinforcement.  To understand the impact of positive attitudes on behavior and self-esteem.

Session 14:  To introduce the concept of community.  To start thinking about a Girls on the Run community project.

Session 15:  To teach participants the importance of standing-up for themselves using appropriate assertive behavior.  To practice assertiveness-training skills and be able to employ them.

Session 16:  To give the girls up as much time as needed to run or walk a 5km.

Session 17:  Game day - just to have fun!

Session 18:  To demonstrate the importance of upholding the community.  To begin to understand that a community is representative of the circumstances and values of the people in it.  To gain a better understanding of discrimination and consider ways to stop it.

Session 19:  To finalize the groups community project.

Session 20:  To increase awareness of the negative ways in which the media portrays girls and women.  Participants will learn the specific ways in which the media portrays women and girls in a manner that does not place us in high esteem.

Session 21:  To work diligently on the community project.  To have FUN!

Session 22:  To enjoy the last official day of Girls on the Run before the closing banquet.  To administer the attitudinal post-test.

Session 23:  To complete the final group workout.  To raise money for Girls on the Run Scholarships to the program.

Session 24:  Celebration:  the Banquet!