We say it all the time: Girls on the Run is so much more than a running program. It’s a community of mentors dedicated to helping the next generation of women discover what mental, emotional, and physical wellness looks like to them. With lessons focused on building confidence, defining healthy friendships, and inspiring positive self-talk, GOTR aims to promote the whole girl–not just her personal best 5K time.
The GOTR curriculum also encourages teams to take the extra step and utilize their newfound confidence and can-do attitude to give back to their communities. Community Impact Projects are a vital part of each season. Every team identifies areas of their community that are in need and brainstorms ways to potentially help them. After a fun and low-stakes voting process, they commit to putting their altruistic project in action…under the guidance of their coaching team, of course.
This Spring, our ten Girls on the Run teams in Memphis had a blast choosing and executing their Community Impact Projects. From school yard clean-ups to bake sales, these girls certainly rose to the occasion and made a difference where it matters most.
Read on to learn about just a few of the CIPs our #GOTRGirls completed this spring!
Shelby Farms:
Coach Jade: “The Shelby Farms GOTR girls initially voted on having a lemonade stand as their community project. The girls' reasoning behind this vote was rooted in their desire to experience having a lemonade stand. While this is sweet, we started to ask the girls thought provoking questions around the importance of hydration. The realization aided in the girls landing on a Hydration Station. Being centrally located at Shelby Farms, the goal was to promote the importance of standing hydrated, encourage water intake, and promote sustainability. The girls had posters showcasing fun facts about the importance of reusable bottles to cut down on single-use plastics. We also handed out water outside of our room. We allowed the girls to make and hand out lemonade for the nostalgia associated with the experience. The Hydration Station was hit!”
St. Mary’s:
Coach Karen: “Participants at GOTR Memphis at SMS voted to cheer up the staff at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. They created posters with incredible pictures and encouraging words for everyone who works at St. Jude. Then the posters were delivered to SJCRH. It was memorable, fun, and a great project that everyone was a part of. Thanks, the Gobble, Gobble GOTR gals of St. Marys!”
Vision Prep:
Coach Unique: "Our VP GOTR Team was excited to brainstorm ideas for their community project. They understood the assignment, working in groups, discussing, and making a case for their idea to present to the team. After hearing each idea, votes were cast, and it was decided that the best impact would be to clean up the outside borders of our school. On the day of the event, each coach led a team to assigned areas to pick up trash that might otherwise mar the beauty of the Vision Preparatory Charter School campus. Each participant was fully engaged with excitement and dedication to the task. The impact of the community outreach project extends beyond the event day. I have witnessed many of our participants reminding other scholars at our school to please help keep our campus clean, not just with their words but by modeling the act of picking up trash left by others. This is a true reflection of the positive impact this part of GOTR has and why it is and will continue to be instrumental in building lifelong positive character in our participants."
