Guide to Starting a Site Girls on the Run of Southeastern Michigan
Table of Contents
Vision, Background and Program Desciption ................................................................................................................... 2
Site Leader Calendar and Checklist ...................................................................................................................... 3, 4 Frequently Asked Questions ......................................................................................... 7-‐10 Requirements for Starting a Site..................................................................................... 11-‐12 Registration Info Event for Families ....................................................................................................................................... 13 Girls on the Run Presentation Tools.............................................................................................................................. 14 Heart and Sole Presentation Tools .......................................................................................................................................... 15
Vision: We envision a world where every girl knows and activates her limitless potential and is free to boldly pursue her dreams.
Background: Girls on the Run of Southeastern Michigan is an independent, non-‐profit 501(c)(3) organization and an affiliate of Girls on the Run International. Our council was founded in 2002 to serve the counties of Washtenaw, Livingston, Monroe, Jackson and Lenawee counties.
Program Description: Girls on the Run (GOTR) envisions a world where every girl knows and activates her limitless potential and is free to boldly pursue her dreams. Our a ten-‐week curriculum-‐based program for girls in grades 3rd-‐8th uses the power of running to help prepare girls for a lifetime of self-‐respect and healthy living. Girls of this age are more open to positive peer influences, supportive adult role models, and the confidence enhancing lessons that are all parts of the GOTR experience. Twice-‐weekly lessons and interactive activities are led by trained volunteer coaches who guide and mentor the girls through an uplifting curriculum that focuses on life-‐long skills to improve emotional and physical health. The program culminates in a non-‐competitive 5K event which gives the girls a chance to shine and an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. Girls complete the program with a stronger sense of identity, a greater acceptance of themselves, a healthier body image and an understanding of what it means to be part of a team.
Site Leader Calendar and Checklist January 5th, 2017 ***___ Kick off the season by attending our Site Leader Launch where we’ll have food, fun, give-‐ aways, chances to win prizes as well as arm you with all of the promotional ideas and materials to have a successful season! January 6th, 2017 – February 17th, 2017 **___ Ensure that your coaches have all submitted their applications (new and returning). **___ Ensure that the GOTR flier is distributed to all 3rd – 5th and/or 6th – 8th grade girls in your community (if GOTR isn’t being offered at neighboring schools consider passing out fliers there as well). *___ Ask principal to advertise GOTR in school newsletter (Template provided) *___ Host an evening informational meeting for staff, families and girls (Tips: play the GOTR video, introduce the coaches, take the girls out do the sample lesson with Them, pass around the Grown Ups Guide to the adults, have laptops available for them to register/apply for scholarships onsite. *___ Have a ‘Wonder Girl’ visit and pass out ‘Register Now’ stickers *___ Send a press release to the community newspaper (template provided by GOTR) *___ Present Girls on the Run at PTO/PTA meeting (Play the Girls on the Run video) *___ Ask PTO/PTA to advertise GOTR on their facebook page and in their newsletter *___ Present Girls on the Run at a staff meeting (Play the Girls on the Run video) ___ Present Girls on the Run in the 3rd – 5th or 6th – 8th grade classrooms (If you have veteran GOTR girls at your site, they can present with you!)
___ Hang posters throughout the building and in the community (If you have veteran GOTR girls at your site, they can help make posters!) ___ Teach “Try GOTR” sample lesson during PE/Gym, lunch time or afterschool ___ Create a Girls on the Run bulletin board (Print pictures from our facebook or flickr page to give girls and families a sense of what happens at Girls on the Run) ___ Hold pep-‐rally for 3rd – 5th or 6th – 8th grade girls (If you have veteran participants have them talk about their experience, play our video, teach the sample lesson available on website) January 6th, 2017 – January 31st, 2017 ** Meet with the school principal, counselor, social worker and/or secretary to present Girls on the Run. Ask for their support in reaching families. Tell them about our financial assistance program and encourage them to reach out to families in need. Be sure they know that although late registration ends February 17th (with an added cost) general registration ends January 31st *and teams fill up quickly so families should register early! *Registration (with the late fee) will stay open (and ‘Try GOTR’ flyers will be provided in coach supplies) until Friday, March 24th for only those sites that have open space or coaches available. March 24th, 2017 ** Registration ends. We will not be able to accept scholarship applications or registrations after this date. February 13th, 2017 – March 6th, 2017 ** Meet with your team’s coaches. Introduce them to the principal and other key staff (secretary, janitor, etc.). Show your coaches where their team will be meeting and running. March 13th, 2017– May 26th, 2017 * Keep in contact with your coaches * Consider assisting with your site’s mock 5k, community service project and/or end of the season celebration.
* Give our Program Coordinator feedback about how the season is going. Let her know if there are any challenges or your team needs any additional support. May 21st, 2017 * Girls on the Run 5k – come out to support your coaches and cheer on your team! Fall 2017 * Apply to host a Girls on the Run site in 2018! * Strongly encouraged ** Required *** Required for new sites/site leaders
Frequently Asked Questions: Can you tell us more about your curriculum? The Girls on the Run research based curricula is designed to allow every girl to recognize her inner strength and inspires girls to define their lives on their own terms. Throughout the season, the girls make new friends, build their confidence and celebrate all that makes them unique. The Girls on the Run lessons encourage positive emotional, social, mental and physical development. Participants explore and discuss their own beliefs around experiences and challenges girls face at this age. They also develop important strategies and skills to help them navigate life experiences. We start with helping the girls get a better understanding of who they are and what’s important to them. Then, we look at the importance of team work and healthy relationships. And, finally, the girls explore how they can positively connect with and shape the world. Physical activity is woven into our program to inspire an appreciation of fitness and to build habits that lead to a lifetime of health. At the end of the program, the girls participate in a Girls on the Run 5k event. This celebratory, non-‐competitive event is the culminating experience of the curriculum. Completing the 5k gives the girls a tangible understanding of the confidence that comes through accomplishment as well as a framework for setting and achieving life goals. Crossing the finish line is a defining moment when the girls realize that even the seemingly impossible IS possible. How long is the Girls on the Run season? 10 weeks beginning in March and ending in May How much instruction do the girls receive? Each participant receives twenty 90 minute lessons (30 hours of instruction) conducted by certified Girls on the Run coaches. How large are the teams? We require a minimum of 8 girls and limit each team to a maximum of 18 girls per two coaches. The minimum is based upon both financial and curriculum considerations. Because much of our curriculum is related to team building and group dynamics, fewer than 8 girls may make it difficult to provide the experience we want to offer to the girls. More than eighteen girls makes it difficult to establish the group rapport and the depth of community we are seeking in the 10 weeks we have together-‐ if you choose to allow more than 18 girls register you will be required to separate them into multiple teams. Sites may request to host as many teams as they feel like they can fill however each team must have at least two volunteer coaches identified who are able to attend the
required Girls on the Run training. We recommend a third volunteer coach is identified to serve as a substitute in case of illness. All coaches must complete the coaches’ application and a background check is required for anyone working with our participants. Do girls usually repeat the program? It is very common for girls to participate in multiple years of Girls on the Run. We offer two 3 -‐5th grade curricula (alternating them by year) and one 6th – 8th grade curriculum. Each girl’s second (and sometimes third and fourth) experience with the curricula is different from the first. Repetition is an important part of the learning process, which allows each girl a feeling of mastery and an opportunity to be a leader or mentor to those who are new to the program. This year we are excited to roll out a brand new curriculum for our 3rd-‐5th grade Girls on the Run girls! Why is there a fee to participate in Girls on the Run? Girls on the Run is non-‐profit organization. Program fees are critical to the program’s overall operation and are used to pay for dues to Girls on the Run International, to purchase comprehensive insurance, curriculum, program supplies (printing, paper, markers, ropes, cones, balls, etc.), printing, coaches’ training, background checks, CPR/First Aid certification, and staff to administer the program, train and support volunteers, ensure program quality and plan and execute the Girls on the Run 5k event. What is the fee to participate in Girls on the Run and what does that fee cover? A $160 program fee ($5.33 per session) covers the direct costs of one child's participation in our twice a week, ten week program. Each participant receives: 20 ninety minute lessons (30 hours of instruction) conducted by certified Girls on the Run coaches Curriculum handouts and running incentives A healthy snack at each session An official Girls on the Run program t-‐shirt A Girls on the Run water bottle Entry into the incredible Girls on the Run 5k event A beautiful finisher's medal
An end of season celebration A Grown-‐Up Guide **Public schools in Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Brighton and Pinckney charge an additional “Community Education Fee” ranging from $20 -‐ $27 depending on the district. Participants pay the additional fee through our online registration and we pay the district on your behalf. Do you offer financial assistance? Yes, Girls on the Run strives to make our program available to every girl in our community! However, financial assistance is not guaranteed. It is awarded on a first come, first serve basis to families in need and are dependent on our available resources. Who is eligible for financial assistance? Any family who is unable to afford our full fee will have the opportunity to request financial assistance during the online registration process. Individuals will be prompted to provide their annual household income as well as the number of people living in the household. This information will be used in order to provide the family with a suggested fee. Special circumstances may also be considered. Documentation of need may be requested. Girls on the Run requires all recipients to pay a portion of the program fee. What if a family doesn’t have access to a computer or internet? If a family does not have a computer or internet access they may call our office and we will register them over the phone. Families often call the school/site directly with questions. We suggest you give your school/site office staff Girls on the Run’s phone number so they can direct families to us. Do you offer a sibling discount? If a family has more than one daughter participating in Girls on the Run and is unable to afford the full program fee for each child we encourage them to apply for financial assistance and indicate this under “special circumstances”. What options do families have to pay the program fee? Payment by credit card or electronic check is the preferred option (all major credit cards are accepted). Checks and money orders made out to Girls on the Run and sent to our office are also accepted, however we cannot guarantee a participant’s spot on the team until a check, money order or partial payment (see below) is received.
Can families pay the program fee in installments? Yes. If parents would like to pay the program fee in installments, they will be able to make partial payments via credit card or check. Families can contact Girls on the Run directly to set up a customized payment plan. Can program fees be refunded? The girl’s parent/guardian (not the coach) is responsible for contacting Girls on the Run if their daughter is unable to continue the program. Girls on the Run will issue a full refund if a girl drops the program by the end of the second week of practice. No refund will be issued for any cancellations after the second week. If a site is canceled due to insufficient registration or other circumstances deemed appropriate by the program director, the full registration fee will be refunded. Do coaches and site leaders have to pay for their daughters if they participate in the program? Coaches and site leaders, who have, or will attend training, will have the option to choose to receive financial assistance for their daughter, or to contribute the full cost of their daughter’s participation. Coaches and site leaders also receive a t-‐shirt, and a complimentary entry into the Girls on the Run 5k. Does the program fee family’s pay subsidize other girls’ program fees? No, the program fee each individual pays is used to cover the costs of the program for that individual girl. Scholarships are available thanks to the generosity of local companies, individual donors, foundations and grants. Many families choose to make a donation to the financial assistance fund in addition to paying for their child’s program fee. Girls on the Run appreciates the generosity of individuals and companies who help make our scholarship program possible. Can a school, school district, PTA/PTO, etc. subsidize the program fee? No, in an effort to maintain the value of our program, Girls on the Run does not allow outside entities to subsidize the program fee at a site. If the site, school district or other organization would like to contribute to the financial assistance fund, to help ensure we can serve all of the interested girls at your school/site, donations are welcomed with much appreciation. However donations will not change the program fee at your school/site.
Starting a Girls on the Run or Heart & Sole Site All potential program locations must: Provide a safe place for running -‐ this does not have to be a track, a field is fine, however, you do need to be able to measure off part of the area for occasions when lessons require running a certain distance (e.g. 1 mile, 2 miles, 5k, etc.). Provide an indoor location for times when there is inclement weather -‐ preferably a gym, but an auditorium or classroom is sufficient *If you want to start a site at a public school in Ann Arbor ,the site leader will work directly with the school (NOT community ed) to establish a space *If you are starting a site at a public school in Brighton, Saline, Dexter or Pinckney, our staff will communicate with the district’s community education department to identify an indoor location. Identify a volunteer site leader -‐ a site leader is the person responsible for working with the school/location to start a site. This person must read the Guide to Starting a Site, help identify the outdoor and indoor running locations, recruit volunteer coaches, secure the approval of the responsible parties at the school/location, submit the site application, host an information session, advertise the program to targeted age group, monitor online registration, ensure the volunteer coaches receive the complete roster at least one week prior to the season starting and stay in contact with the coaches to offer support throughout the season. New site leaders are required to attend a 90 minute launch meeting, at the Girls on the Run headquarters in Ypsilanti, where they will receive all of the materials needed to advertise the program and promote registration. Determining how many teams (a team is no less than 8 and no more than 18 girls) they’d like to offer – Because the Girls on the Run program is only offered once a year we encourage site leaders to do their very best to ensure that every girl who is interested has the opportunity to participate. Choose two days a week for meeting – Girls on the Run participants meet twice a week for ten weeks for ninety minutes each day. The days may not be consecutive (e.g. Monday/Tuesday). Please consider other activities that the girls at your location may be active in (soccer, Girl Scouts, etc.) and
choose alternate days so that a majority of girls will have the opportunity to participate if they are interested. Recruit volunteer coaches – sites are required to identify two coaches (we STRONGLY recommend a third to be identified as an extra set of hands and/or substitute) for each team of 8 – 18 girls. Most of our sites have more than one team though (depending on school size) and so we encourage site leaders to identify at least four coaches. A site leader may also serve as a coach. All coaches must be willing to have a background check completed and new coaches must attend Girls on the Run training before the program begins. At least one full time coach must be CPR and first aid certified. Girls on the Run provides CPR and first aid training and certification for one coach per site (class is free but space is limited to first come/first serve). If no coaches are able to attend our CPR training, at least one volunteer must obtain his/her certification on his/her own at his/her own cost. Volunteer coaches are required to prepare for and supervise ninety-‐minute lessons, twice a week for ten weeks, in a manner consistent with the GOTR philosophy and curricula. Coaches are required to attend and support their team at the culminating Girls on the Run 5k event. Families, teachers and administrators are welcome to attend the lessons and assist the coaches, offer encouragement, participate in games and run with the girls. Often families help with snack, planning the mock 5k, the community service project and end of season celebration. If a person is attending regularly to help with the sessions, he/she must have a background check completed. Submit a site application – We are only able to approve sites that meet the requirements listed above by the appropriate deadline. The number of sites we approve depends on our staffing levels and available resources. Host an information meeting for girls and families prior to the registration deadline to show our video (available on our website), answer questions and encourage registration. A sample lesson is also available to allow girls the opportunity to experience the program before signing up. Distribute registration fliers to all of the girls in the targeted age group All of our registration is online. If a family does not have access to a computer or the internet they are welcome to call our office and we will register them over the phone.
Ensure that families are aware that financial aid is available and encourage inclusion when marketing the Girls on the Run program. Diversity in age, ability, ethnicity and socioeconomic backgrounds enhances the program experience for the girls. Encourage staff and families to support the Girls on the Run participants by training and running/walking with the girls at the culminating Girls on the Run 5k!
Information and Registration Event for Girls on the Run-‐ featuring a BRAND NEW curriculum! Date: Time: Location: We will be hosting an information and registration event open to all families of girls in grades ______ through ______. Join us to learn more about the program and the impact it can make on your girl, as well as gaining information about Girls on the Run fee and available financial assistance. Contact your local site leader, ______________________, at ______________________ or Girls on the Run of Southeastern Michigan at
[email protected] or 734.712.5640
Information and Registration Event for Girls on the Run-‐ featuring a BRAND NEW curriculum! Date: Time: Location: We will be hosting an information and registration event open to all families of girls in grades ______ through ______. Join us to learn more about the program and the impact it can make on your girl, as well as gaining information about Girls on the Run fee and available financial assistance. Contact your local site leader, ______________________, at ______________________ or Girls on the Run of Southeastern Michigan at
[email protected] or 734.712.5640
Information and Registration Event for Heart & Sole (a Girls on the Run program)! Date: Time: Location: We will be hosting an information and registration event open to all families of girls in grades ______ through ______. Join us to learn more about this NEW program and the impact it can make on your girl, as well as gaining information about Girls on the Run fee and available financial assistance. Contact your local site leader, ______________________, at ______________________ or Girls on the Run of Southeastern Michigan at
[email protected] or 734.712.5640
Information and Registration Event for Heart & Sole (a Girls on the Run program)! Date: Time: Location: We will be hosting an information and registration event open to all families of girls in grades ______ through ______. Join us to learn more about this NEW program and the impact it can make on your girl, as well as gaining information about Girls on the Run fee and available financial assistance. Contact your local site leader, ______________________, at ______________________ or Girls on the Run of Southeastern Michigan at
[email protected] or 734.712.5640
Girls on the Run Parent/Teacher Presentation Content Meeting twice weekly for ten weeks, girls in the 3rd through 5th grade will participate in an after-‐school program like no other. Designed to allow every girl to recognize her inner strength, the Girls on the Run curriculum inspires girls to define their lives on their own terms. Throughout the season, the girls make new friends, build their confidence and celebrate all that makes them unique. Led by trained Girls on the Run volunteer coaches, the lessons encourage positive emotional, social, mental and physical development. The girls will explore and discuss their own beliefs around experiences and challenges girls face at this age. They also develop important strategies and skills to help them navigate life experiences. The beginning of the curriculum starts with helping the girls get a better understanding of who they are and what’s important to them. Then, the coaches lead the girls through lessons that focus on the importance of teamwork and healthy relationships. And, finally, the girls explore how they can positively connect with and shape the world. Although running is not required to be a participant in Girls on the Run, physical activity is woven into the program to inspire an appreciation of fitness and to build habits that lead to a lifetime of health. At the end of each three-‐month session, the girls participate in a Girls on the Run 5k event where all of the teams from all five counties come together. This celebratory, non-‐competitive event is the culminating experience of the curriculum. Completing the 5k gives the girls a tangible understanding of the confidence that comes through accomplishment as well as a framework for setting and achieving life goals. Crossing the finish line is a defining moment when the girls realize that even the seemingly impossible IS possible.
Heart & Sole Parent/Teacher Presentation Content Heart & Sole is Girls on the Run’s new program for middle school girls! Heart & Sole creates a positive, structured space for middle school girls to learn about themselves, explore new ideas, cultivate empathy, strengthen connections and develop life skills that will help them as they move through adolescence and beyond. The Heart & Sole curriculum is rich with themes girls can relate to, addressing the whole girl— body, brain, heart, spirit and social connection—and building important life skills such as team building, developing a support system, boundary setting, decision making, asking for and providing help and more." This 10-‐week program, meeting twice weekly with trained Girls on the Run volunteer coaches, is accessible to all girls regardless of athletic ability or fitness level and considers the range of ages and varied experiences of middle schoolers. Physical activity includes strength and conditioning appropriate for this age group. The season culminates with the Girls on the Run 5k, which is the celebratory event that underscores the confidence, competence, connection, character and caring they’ve been developing in the program and gives them a tangible sense of goal setting and achievement.
Thank you for your interest in helping Girls on the Run expand our reach in the community. If you have any further questions don’t hesitate to contact us. Girls on the Run Southeastern MI 734.712.5640 Washtenaw and Lenawee service areas:
[email protected] Monroe, Jackson and Livingston service areas:
[email protected] For General Information:
[email protected]
