Moving Through the World with Intention
Drawing from science and psychology, Girls on the Run uses research as a touchstone for its curricula, which is all about helping girls live lives of greater intention, awareness, and potential. Studies show that between the ages of 8 and 14, girls' confidence plummets by 30 percent. "The other statistic we know is that girls start losing their voice at this age," says Quimby. "They stop raising their hand because they're afraid that someone is going to laugh at what they say." Or they hold their tongue, lest peers think they're too bossy. Girls in their teens can exhibit a loss of leadership confidence, which tracks with the shortage of women in leadership roles later in life and the gender pay gap that continues to hurt women.Research exists, too, supporting programs like Girls on the Run as a potential countermeasure to forces like these. A study of program participants by Maureen R. Weiss, PhD, a youth development expert, found that 97 percent of the girls were using the skills they learned at Girls on the Run at home, at school, and with friends, applying them to situations and dynamics in real life. And girls who were the least active before joining Girls on the Run increased their physical activity level by more than 40 percent, often maintaining or increasing that level after the program's end.
Possible benefits go beyond the physical, says McTigue. "It's about saying, 'I am important, I am strong across the board. It's my spirit, my body, my brain.' It's about giving yourself the confidence to be a good person."
RESOURCES
Girls on the Run Hudson Valley
Girls on the Run International
