Girls on the Run was recognized as one of the National AfterSchool Association’s Most Influential in Health and Wellness, a designation intended to honor individuals and organizations whose service, action, and leadership support health and wellness in after-school programs and affect a large number of youth, families, or after-school professionals.
“We are proud to be included in this group of distinguished, innovative and dedicated afterschool programs,” said Girls on the Run International vice president of programming Heather Pressley. “When you see this impressive list, it reminds us all how important afterschool programming is in the lives of children, and Girls on the Run is proud of the role we play in positively impacting the lives of girls across the country.”
According to the National AfterSchool Association, an estimated 10.2 million children participate in after-school programs each year. Girls on the Run provides programs for girls in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and has affected the lives of over 1.2 million girls since being founded in 1996. Girls on the Run Southern Utah council is relatively new. established in 2015, it serves young girls in Washington and Iron Counties at Arrowhead Elementary, Gateway Preparatory Academy, Fossil Ridge Intermediate, Hurricane Intermediate, Red Mountain Elementary, and Washington City Community Center.
“The National AfterSchool Association believes that out-of-school time hours offer a great opportunity to impact the health of today’s youth and their families,” said Gina Warner, president and CEO of National AfterSchool Association. “Promoting healthy eating and physical activity can lead to lifelong physical and mental health and prevent disease.”
The National AfterSchool Association selected 11 honorees and five honorable mentions who were each profiled in the spring 2017 issue of National AfterSchool Association’s AfterSchool Today magazine and featured on the organization’s website.
The National AfterSchool Association is the membership association for professionals who work with children and youth in diverse school and community-based settings to provide a wide variety of extended learning opportunities and care during out-of-school hours.
Girls on the Run is a physical activity-based positive youth development program that helps girls in third through eighth grade develop key life skills through dynamic lessons and interactive running games. During each 10-week season, girls strengthen their sense of self, build connections with teammates and coaches, create and implement a community impact project, and prepare to complete a celebratory end-of-season 5K event.
More information about Girls on the Run can be found at gotrsouthernutah.org.
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