Blog List

Blog

Recent Post

Kylie Daniels

Kylie Daniels

Our nonprofit spotlight in NNBW ⭐

Below is the article featured in NNBW:

Spotlight THE NON-PROFIT 

SPONSORED CONTENT 

COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY 

GIRLS ON THE RUN SIERRAS

Girls on the Run Sierras is a nonprofit organization  serving girls in the Reno- Tahoe area. The mission  of this organization is to inspire girls to be joyful,  healthy, and confident using a fun, experience based curriculum that creatively integrates running.  The program equips young girls with the skills and  confidence they need to navigate challenging social  standards and decision-making.  

GOTR Sierras serves girls in Reno, Sparks, Sun  Valley, Incline Village, Truckee, Kings Beach, Tahoe  City and South Lake Tahoe. Of the twenty-eight  schools GOTR partners with, 36% are Title 1  schools (Title I schools are schools with large  concentrations of low-income students. These  schools receive supplemental Federal funds  designed to decrease the academic achievement  gap created when students live in poverty). On  average, 57% of GOTR participants are on  scholarships. 

There are two programs offered through GOTR  Sierras. Both programs are based on character building and creating healthy life skills, while  sprinkling in physical activity in anticipation of the  celebratory 5K that occurs at the end of a season.  There is a physical aspect to each practice, however  GOTR Sierras is much more than a running program.  Each lesson has a matching physical activity, and  these together create a balance between mental  and physical health. Trained coaches take the girls  through the season while focusing on the 5 c’s: care,  connection, character, competence, and confidence.  The life skills girls acquire through GOTR promote  physical, emotional, and social health. 

The GOTR program is geared towards girls in  third through fifth grade since at this age, girls are  subject to peer pressure, unrealistic standards  among other societal pressures. Since these  are such formative years, it is important to equip  girls with social and emotional skills so that they  face issues and develop healthy habits. Girls are  taught the importance of critical thinking, making  healthy choices, and how to facilitate positive  group interactions. An emphasis is placed on such  skills as girls will use these throughout girlhood,  adolescence and into adulthood.  

The Heart and Sole program are designed for girls  in sixth through eighth grade. The lessons are like  that of GOTR, but themes are tailored to tackle  the challenge of adolescence. Like GOTR, all  girls, regardless of physical capability or financial  status are welcome. Heart and Sole focuses on the  connection between the heart, brain, spirit, body,  and social development. Girls will learn lessons  regarding problem-solving, emotional regulation  and self-care. 

Our 10-week program meets after school, twice a  week. The curriculum is meant to facilitate positive  physical, emotional, and social development.  Introductory lessons focus core values, individual  strengths, and personal goals all while staying  physically active. Following lessons focus on  strengthening teamwork, leadership, and decision making skills. The last lessons are taught through  a wider lens, focusing on community, cultural  messages, as well as exploring an individual’s ability  make an impact through our community service  project. Lessons are crafted to build on one another,  

so by the end of season girls have used the skills  they have acquired in the context of individuality,  collaboration, and community. 

This year was an incredibly special for GOTR  Sierras as we hosted our first ever Camp GOTR. We  partnered with FIRST Nevada Robotics to offer a  week-long day camp. In the morning girls learned  about friendships, confidence, and creativity with  GOTR coaches and in the afternoon, they built  robots and completed a mission to Mars with FIRST  Nevada coaches. 

GOTR Sierras believes all girls, regardless of  financial status or athletic ability, should have the  opportunity to participate in the program. While all  girls benefit from GOTR-S programming, those with  fewer opportunities to participate in physical activity  and enrichment programs can benefit the most. As  such, we are committed to never turning away a  girl due to her family’s financial situation and offer  financial assistance to qualifying families. 

The season culminates with a celebratory 5K.  The 5K is untimed and non-competitive, rather  it is a place where girls can celebrate their  accomplishments and finish a goal they set at the  beginning of the season. When crossing the finish  line, girls realize that all their hard work has paid off  and that they are able to complete feats that seem  impossible.  

As a local nonprofit, Girls on the Run Sierras is  proud to have served over 5,000 girls in the last 15  years. We rely on the support, donations, and love  of our community to help us continue serving girls.  

Tag:

Share this Post!

About Council

We inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running. Non-profit girl empowerment after-school program for girls.

Girls on the Run International Post