Girls on the Run at JSC

June 2, 2008

For the second year, Johnson State College hosted local elementary school girls for Girls On The Run, a national program working to promote physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual well-being in pre-adolescent girls. JSC SHAPE and Intramural Coordinator Wendy Brothers learned about the program at a physical education conference and decided to host a local Girls on the Run program on the JSC campus in 2007.

It was such a success, that this year, Brothers, along with JSC sophomore Caitlin McCormick, and Cambridge resident Deborah Coccoli, coached 11 girls from elementary schools in Morrisville, Hyde Park, Johnson, and Cambridge, as well as one homeschooler! Twice weekly, the girls ran and talked about various issues that complicate the existence of girls in our society, from self-image to peer pressure and more. Another 5k race will take place on June 8, and Brothers says that the program will continue next year, with more JSC students serving as mentors to the participating girls.

For more information about the program, visit www.girlsontherunvermont.org