Girls on the Run - DC

Girls on the Run is such an amazing organization! I was so excited to run a half marathon this past spring with their Solemates program, and felt so supported with all of the training and fundraising materials and consistent check-ins. The more I learned about the important cause and their mission, the more motivated I was to train and contribute in any way I could. I'd love to be more involved in the future and run another race as a Solemate. Thanks for all you do, GOTR!

Love this organization and their 5k! I went to their race to volunteer and had a great time seeing the girls have a wonderful day. Great mission

I love Girls on the Run! I went to a workout class for them a while back and loved learning about what they do. I would love to get more involved but they have many ways around DC to give back. Way to go GOTR!

Amazing group with an amazing goal! I went to a couple fundraiser fitness classes and profit shares with GOTR - such a fun way to help girls in the area be there best selves! I'm looking forward to working with them more this year. Thanks for all you do GOTR !!!

Such an amazing event, I recommend to all my friends! So inspirational to see all the girls, volunteers, family and friends get so involved in this race. The day is filled with so much fun, acitivities, music and obviously the best part- the RUN!!!

I have loved all of the Girls on the Run - DC events I have attended. Whether it's running at the biannual 5k or attending a workout class in support of the organization, they do a great job at putting on events in support of young girls in the DC area. What an amazing cause to teach girls that they are strong and can do anything!

Girls on the Run DC is an amazing organization with great people working for them. They organize wonderful benefit events that bring the community out to support a good cause for young girls in the area.

One of my favorite non-profits -- making a difference in young girls' lives from an early age to encourage a new generation of strong, empathetic, and courageous young women. Have loved coaching, volunteering, and running with these girls and women.

My first year as a Girls on the Run coach was amazing! As a primary grade teacher in my school, I knew the girls I was coaching, but did not have many interactions with them. After our season began, the relationships I formed with the girls, and the relationships they formed with one another, was so powerful. The girls and coaches were so excited for school to end and practice begin. This is even after some of the girls stayed for an hour more of instruction or have already had an athletics practice prior to our session! Their personal growth and triumphs were rewarding and really carried into all facets of their life. Hearing of how they could apply the skills they gained and see them become confident young ladies was so rewarding.

GOTR DC is SUCH a great program! Being a GOTR coach has enabled me to do two things I love - running and being a role model for younger girls. It is a nice balance of curriculum and being active. The girls really look up to their coaches and it is so rewarding to watch how they grow throughout the season. The end of the season 5ks are awesome, especially the one in the spring around the mall!

I've been aware of GOTR for several years as I would occasionally see my neighborhood school's team practicing and thought "what a great concept." Recently my exposure to the program has been as a parent of two girls that participated for four straight seasons. Watching my two girls experience the program has been fantastic. I always knew that the exercise portion was something that could make a girl feel better about themselves, but the whole curriculum has been wonderful to observe. My girls have talked about the lessons and shared their perspectives on how the conversations have helped them navigate some tough social dynamics. They feel stronger physically and emotionally because of the program. GOTR is a wonderful addition to their education!

Girls on the run DC is one of my favorite non profits in DC. The mission is so simple: help little girls of all wards feel more confident and stronger through the use of a creative running program that also teaches them healthy habits. I love that girls of all 8 wards follow the exact same program and that many girls (60-70%) are on scholarships from girls on the run. They get to all run together for the 5K which is awesome! The staff is passionate and very supportive, going above and beyond to support volunteers. Getting involved always brightens my day!!

Girls on the Run has been an incredible experience for so many girls across the country. As a coach for over 10 seasons, I have seen our girls grow and learn so much about themselves over the years. The lessons are so beneficial in promoting self-esteem, healthy lifestyles and positive relationships. The girls are so proud of their accomplishments and watching the smiles on our girls faces as they cross the finish line of the 5K is priceless. The program has done so much for my students and I'm so glad we've been able to positively influence so many girls with this amazing program!

GOTR has had my heart for many, many years. As a native North Carolinian, where the program originated, I learned about the program through my father who died in 2005 after a battle with cancer. As the father of two girls, he connected deeply with the mission of GOTR and encouraged me to get involved since he knew I was passionate about running. In celebration of his legacy, I became a coach and a founding board member of the local DC Board. It has been an extraordinary privilege to watch the organization grow and mature through the years. Thoughtful leaders have helped the program expand its reach, thus impacting thousands of girls lives.

Girls on the Run - DC is a phenomenally well-run and positive program for young girls! Having interacted with this organization as both a coach and now a board member, I have seen firsthand that every aspect of the program is thoughtfully aligned to the mission and focused on providing a great experience for as many girls as possible in DC, along with their families and the many volunteers that happily give their time to support this great work. Every season, the hundreds of girls who participate walk away with a broadened mindset and useful tactics to become healthy, confident and joyful young women!

Girls on the Run is a phenomenal organization that provides it's volunteers with superb resources to provide first rate training to grade school aged girls to not only enable them to successfully complete their first 5K, but also to empower them to stand up against peer pressure, bullying, and a variety of social issues facing young women today. Girls on the Run also puts on a first-rate 5K at the culmination of each semester's training program that is simply excellent. I cannot say enough good about this organization and what it does for young women and the way it equips its volunteers to execute the mission.

Wonderful nonprofit with low overhead and great recruitment of repeat and new volunteers!

I've been a community coach with Girls on the Run for four seasons over the last five years. As a nonprofit professional, I've always been impressed by how smoothly GOTR operates. They've been the ideal program to volunteer for -- they have a clear sense of mission and provide an incredible opportunity in the community, they make volunteering as easy as possible for interested coaches, and they are incredibly organized when it comes to complex logistics, like the 5K for 1000+ girls and their parents. Staff has always been flexible and responsive, such as when nearly 30 girls at my school site wanted to participate in the program. They were open to us nearly doubling the size of our team and supported us by recruiting new community coaches so we could provide a safe and fun opportunity for every girl. The program is also fantastically designed for its target audience -- 3rd-5th grade girls--and provides coaches with all the materials, from curriculum to balloons and stickers, that we need to implement it. I've consistently been impressed with how the girls immediately "get" the program and start incorporating lesson tenets into the way they approach challenges and opportunities in their daily lives. It's been a great experience every year, and I'm looking forward to next year.

Great organization to work with and raise funds for young girls.

Great way to engage young girls in exercise and awesome curriculum to help them apply life skills.

I have been a coach for GOTR for three years and have had a very positive experience. The program targets many important situations kids encounter as they are growing up. It helps give them the skills and confidence they need to move through these challenging situations, while adding the importance of physical activity and nutrition. It is a well organized and balanced program.

Working with GOTR-DC has been extremely fulfilling. The girls are eager to learn and practice their run. They feel so accomplished towards the end of the semester. For some of the girls that had a chance to join for the second semester, they were able to encourage family members to run with them. It has been an amazing experience and I'm looking forward to the upcoming school year!

GOTR has had an amazing impact on my students. This will be my fourth season coaching, and I think this is one of the best afterschool programs that girls in elementary school can be involved with. The girls learn basic principles of fitness, but also how to live a healthy lifestyle throughout the course of the program. We noticed the girls in school using positive techniques to solve conflicts, deal with bullying, and supporting each otherwith positive language during the school day. The effects of the program are long-lasting and easily observable. Also, the sense of accomplishment that the girls feel after finishing the end of the season 5K race is amazing! This race helps the girls learn a can-do attitude. The staff at GOTR is great, they are extremely responsive and ready to help whenever and however they can. The program offer scholarships for girls need as well as free shoes. So, the program is accessible to all.

GOTR is an incredibly powerful program for the young girls in our school! The curriculum is well paced and well organized and builds self-esteem and coping skills while also teaching perseverance and cooperation skills. The GOTR office is efficient and well-organized and logistics always run smoothly. They support coaches well and empower us to empower our girls!

I have been a coach with Girls on the Run for several seasons and each season is more rewarding then the next. This a great organization for Youth Development and Character Building for Girls. The staff is great. The program is highly organized and effective.

It is amazing to see the girls blossom over a season and to see them become part of a team and form bonds with other girls through team discussions and running. At the very beginning of the season, there are always a few quiet girls, and without fail, a few weeks in, they want to share and are as excitable and outgoing as the others, and their individual personalities come out. This idea of helping girls bring out their personalities and get rid of that self-conscious exterior that many of us carry with us is part of what brings me back season after season.

Grace, who is now a 6th grader summed up exactly what Girls on the Run aims to achieve in an end of a season note: "Dear Coach Elyse, Thank you for making it possible to do Girls on the Run. I felt like I couldn't do it, but you urged me on and made me feel like the one and only Grace. You made the impossible, possible."

If you aren't able to commit to coaching, the organization has many one day volunteer opportunities and social fundraising opportunities such as Solemates.

This is easily the most rewarding and best non-profit that I have volunteered with.

I am a current coach for GOTR-DC. I began coaching this past fall and have had nothing but a wonderful experience. The service this provides the girls, the modes, healthy lifestyle choices and enrichment is beyond words. My girls know the mission, and the big goal. Nothing beats seeing their faces on race day when they step over the finish line. They know they can achieve whatever they put their minds too!

Girls on the Run makes a critically important difference in the lives of young girls and its work is truly commendable. My dear friend is a Girls on the Run coach and her stories have moved me to tears. Furthermore, I have watched her personally learn more about the importance of self-esteem (through her experience as a coach), and she's used the strength and perspective gained to inspire her friends and family - and it's helped in a major way! Girls on the Run doesn't just help its immediate participants - it has stakeholders it doesn't even know about.

I have been a GOTR coach for three years and I love it! The girls learn to be confident with who they are. The lessons and runs during practice teach important life skills. Running the 5 K at the end of the season is an amazing way to celebrate all that the girls have accomplished. I love watching the girls dye their hair, cheer each other on, and blot over the finish line. They are still smiling days after the race. Today I held practice and here are a few comments the girls made:
- I wrote my running goal in my journal, so it is serious. I need to accomplish it.
- The rubber bands from practice yesterday reminded me I was beautiful all day.
- You are five times beautiful.
I'm constantly hearing remarks like this from the girls. This program empowers them.

I have 2 daughters. One has done GOTR and one is in the program now. I have found that both children have increased their awareness of both the importance of taking care of themselves physically as well as the respect and friendship due their peers covered in the curriculum. It is most noteworthy at the biannual 5K where their comradery with one another and their obvious pride at achieving the goal of completing the 5K is proof of the programs success (at least for me). GOTR is an essential tool in providing balance for young impressionable girls at a vulnerable period in their childhood.

I became involved with Girls on the Run DC when I moved to Washington DC almost 2 years. After helping out with the spring 2010 race, I was so inspired by the energy, enthusiasm, and empowerment of the organization that I wanted to help out more!

Girls on the Run empowers girls to recognize, celebrate and achieve their personal best. GOTR instills the confidence needed to meet one's goals, and promotes a positive, healthy image that is critical for the longerm physical and emotional well-being of young people, in particular girls. It also creates a strong sense of community; the idea that while each individual crosses the finish line, the victory is not theirs alone, but one in which all of one's peers and coaches played a significant role through ongoing and active encouragement and support. GOTR is a positive force in a world of complicated and daunting messages about beauty, fitting in and being cool. The lessons learned will last a lifetime.

GOTR is an amazing program which builds young girls' self-esteem and fosters healthy life choices through group discussions and running.

As a volunteer coach and parent of a GOTR participant, I see the workings of program from the inside and out. As a coach, I see the impact the program has on the girls on my team. Sure, there are those girls who are the front-of-the-pack runners who amaze me with their speed, but it is those girls for whom running is a real challenge that inspire me and show the power of the program.

For the first few practices, there was a core group of girls who did not believe they could run. They thought they were too slow and not good enough to keep up with the other girls. By practice #10, these girls, through their perseverance and self-confidence, ran more than they ever had in any practice. They finished with some physical discomfort from the run, but you would never know it from the elation and pride displayed on their faces. It was so great to see.

The icing on the cake was when I asked each girl to make a sign for herself - describing something she likes to do, is good at, or about herself. One girl drew a sign with three simple, yet powerful words - "I have confidence".

We have so enjoyed Girls on the Run. It's been an amazing experience for our girls to learn independence, gain self confidence and get healthy outdoor exercise.

Kristen and the team at DC GOTR have been great to work with -- I am the site coordinator for Lafayette and have continually been impressed with their enthusiasm and high level of organization.

The parents and families involved are also very enthusiastic to have GOTR at Lafayette, the largest elementary school in DC. And we plan to continue to offer GOTR to our girls.

My daughter was a participant in Girls on the Run in its early days in Washington, D.C. Despite that she is now too old for GotR, she comes out for every race; she and I usually serve as course marshals, standing somewhere in the "out back" part of the race course and directing the runners as they come by.
In recent races, she has taken to directing traffic for most of the race. When only the stragglers are still coming by, she finds a girl who is having a particularly hard time of it. She leaves her position and joins the struggling girl, often taking her by the hand. Thus encouraged, the girl finds the energy to get back in the race and make it the rest of the way; the two of them complete the race together.
I have seen with my own eyes what a difference GotR has made in the life of one girl in particular, and a number of others in passing (literally: they passed right by me). I'm on the board to see that it keeps doing that.