Girls on the Run of Greater Alaska, presented by AWARE, has announced their new program for middle school girls: “Heart & Sole” and seeks volunteer coaches.
The Heart & Sole curriculum was developed by Girls on the Run International to meet the needs of middle school girls. This 10-week program uses running games to teach life skills such as boundary setting, making connections & friendships, self-care and decision-making.
“The curriculum was designed with adolescent girls in mind,” program coordinator for Girls on the Run Rachel Wintz said. “Rather than presenting topics like bullying or dating, the curriculum allows girls to guide the conversation and talk about things that matter to them. Girls go through so much in middle school and having a safe space where they can talk about that is invaluable.”
The curriculum is designed to address the entirety of a girl — body, brain, heart, spirit and social connection — and builds life skills that will help girls as they move through adolescence and beyond. Teams of 8-15 girls have an opportunity to build strong connections with one another and their coaches. At the end of each session, the girls use a journal to record their progress and to self-reflect on the topics discussed that day. The journal gives girls time to delve deeper into the themes and topics of interest to them.
“AWARE is able to offer Girls on the Run and Heart & Sole programming with the support of volunteer coaches from the community,” Wintz said. “We have a big season this Spring, with five elementary schools and both middle schools participating in Girls on the Run, and we’ll need lots of help to do that.”
Coaches don’t need to be runners. They can be women or men who are positive role models for 3rd-8th grade girls and who are passionate about empowering girls. Coaches facilitate a set curriculum with 1.5 hour-long lessons 1-2 times per week after school.
Those interested in coaching Girls on the Run or Heart & Sole should visit www.gotrgreateralaska.org for more information or to sign up before Jan. 29. New coaches must attend a coach training on Feb. 6 for Girls on the Run or Feb. 20 for Heart & Sole. Contact Rachel Wintz with questions at rachelw@awareak.org or (907) 586-4902.
