The Girls on the Run (GOTR) program encourages lifelong health and fitness builds confidence through accomplishment. Important social, psychological, and physical skills and abilities are also developed and reinforced throughout the program.
GOTR allowsΒ girls to recognize their inner strength and celebrate what makes them one of a kind.Β Trained coaches (MVPS staff and parents) lead a small team through the research-based curricula which includes dynamic discussion, activities and running games.
Over the course of the twelve-week program, girls in grades 3-5Β develop essential skills to help them navigate their world, while establishing a lifetime appreciation for health and fitness. The program culminates with girls positively impacting their communities through a service project and being physically and emotionally prepared to complete a celebratory 5K event.
Each week GOTR provides the girls with conversation starters to practice throughout the week with their peers and lessons on character building, to include:
- Gratitude
- Strengths
- Cooperation
- Compromise
- Helping thoers
- You are stronger than you think
This active group of girls is also required to do service learning in the form of a Community Impact Project. Lower School Learning Coaches Jennifer Brown and Grace White escorted the girls to Somerby Senior Living Facility in Sandy Springs to play bingo with the residents.
In preparation for their official 5K on April 28 at Atlantic Station, the girls participated in a mock 5K around Mount Vernon’s Founders Campus. Faculty and older students became running buddies to run/jog/walk with one of the student-athletes and encourage her along the way.
“THANK YOU from all of us for volunteering to supportΒ GirlsΒ on theΒ Run! I donβt think it was a coincidence that the arrival of our volunteers coincided with the sky clearing and the sun coming out. We are so proud of what theΒ girlsΒ were able to accomplish and could not have done it without your support. Thanks so much for continuing to demonstrate what an amazing community Mount Vernon is!” ~ Dana Levitan, Lead Coach
The MV Girls on the Run coaching staff:
Jennifer Brown – Faculty Sponsor/Coach
Dana Levitan – Parent Coach
Ashley Sperling – Parent Coach
David Toole – Parent Coach
Callie Fuller – Parent Coach
Kevin McNerney – Parent Coach
Nicole Martin – Site Director
