Girls on the Run

Our mission at Girls on the Run is to inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident! Using an experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running, Girls on the Run addresses issues that affect pre-teen and teenage girls, including increased social pressures, anxiety, and isolation, as well as declining physical activity and self-confidence. The COVID pandemic has further exacerbated these issues, so our girls need us now more than ever! Each season, our participants in grades 3-8 meet with highly-trained volunteer coaches 1-2 times weekly over the course of 8-10 weeks. Each practice session includes engaging activities that teach critical life skills such as standing up to peer pressure, making decisions, building positive relationships, expressing emotions, and demonstrating respect and responsibility towards themselves and others. Physical activity is integrated into each practice to inspire an appreciation for a healthy and active lifestyle. At the end of the season, teams complete a community impact project and join together for a celebratory 5K. These culminating events provide girls with a feeling of success, build confidence, and instill within them the value of goal setting. Over the course of a season, our participants develop healthy habits, self-respect, and personal resiliency that endure long after the program’s conclusion. Ultimately, our vision is that Girls on the Run is dedicated to creating a world where every girl knows and activates her limitless potential and is free to boldly pursue her dreams. Thanks to the support of Anderson’s Children Foundation, we will serve and inspire at least 75 girls in the Coachella Valley during our 24/24 season!

Contact: Molly Widdicombe, Program Manager

Email: molly.widdicombe@gotrriverside.org

Address: PO Box 21044 Riverside, CA 92516

Phone: (951) 394-3141

Girls on the Run is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a world where every girl knows and activates her limitless potential and is free to boldly pursue her dreams. Our mission is to inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using and experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running.

At Girls on the Run we inspire ALL girls to build confidence and make intentional decisions, while fostering care and compassion for self and others. Trained coaches use physical activity and dynamic discussions to build social, emotional and physical skills in every girl while encouraging healthy habits for life. Girls meet twice a week in small teams for 90 minutes with trained coaches to explore topics related to self-esteem, relationship building and community engagement. At the end of the 10-week season girls participate in a non-competitive 5K, open to the public.

Girls face social pressures and conflicting messages about how they should act and who they should be. Studies show that by adolescence, girls' confidence drops about twice as much as boys'. Stressors related to COVID-19 have undoubtedly affected girls, between social isolation, anxiety and more limited opportunities for physical activity. Girls need us now more than ever.

We believe that EVERY GIRL is inherently FULL OF POWER and POTENTIAL. By knowing they are the leaders of their lives, these are the girls who WILL CHANGE THE WORLD.

Contact: Stephanie Witkowski Executive Director
Email: info@gotrriverside.org
Address: PO Box 21044
Riverside, CA 92516
Phone: (951) 888-0713