Greater Harrisburg's Community Magazine

Growing Up . . . and Going for a Run: More than a physical challenge, Girls on the Run helps students open up, learn about life and mature.

Screenshot 2015-06-27 12.20.54

Illustration by Stephen Michael Haas.

Girls on the Run teaches young students valuable life skills like believing in oneself, cooperation and community.

For many girls in the Harrisburg school system, the program instills in them the power to overcome bullying, build their self-esteem and uncover the value of working as a team.

Then there’s the 5K.

“We know that running a 5K is a great accomplishment, but Girls on the Run is about so much more than that,” said Gillian Byerly, the executive director of the Capital Area chapter. “We are giving some of these girls the only chance they’ll have at learning what it means to have personal value and to work together to accomplish personal goals.”

When the Capital Area Girls on the Run chapter was founded in 2011, just 22 girls and four volunteers signed up for the 10-week program. Through twice-a-week meetings, the girls participated in group discussions that tackled tough issues while training for a 5K to be held at the end of the season.

Today, 860 girls in third through eighth grades—and several hundred volunteers throughout Perry, Dauphin and Cumberland counties—participate in the program.

Harrisburg School District students, in particular, have made remarkable progress in a short time. The first Girls on the Run team entered Melrose School in 2014 with teacher volunteers who stayed after long days in the classroom to coach.

Some teachers noticed attendance was spotty at first. Many of the girls left in hopes of finding food they might not get at home, Byerly said. This season, the program provided subs for the girls. Now, with food in their bellies and mentors who continue to be attentive, the program has flourished.

Kere Washington, a fifth-grade teacher at Rowland Academy, recently celebrated her second season as a Girls on the Run coach at her school. About 10 girls participated this spring, bringing with them an enthusiasm and energy that bubbled over as they celebrated their accomplishments during an after-school party.

“I’ve seen how the program allows some of the girls to open up about problems they wouldn’t otherwise discuss,” Washington said. “When we show them how to make strategies for school problems, we’re starting to see them follow through.”

One student who acted out frustrations with physical fights went to a coach when she noticed herself getting upset, Byerly said. Instead of lashing out, the girl sought help and got advice on how to express her frustration with words instead of fists.

Marie Adamu, 10, said she liked how everyone was so nice at Girls on the Run. When her family couldn’t attend the May 5K, Marie’s friends and coaches stepped in to cheer her on.

“I think I did excellent,” Marie said of her first 5K experience. “I was nervous at first, but everyone helped me. It went just how I expected.”

Marie also admits that the program helped her work through her own issues with bullying—both acting out as a bully and handling herself when others bullied her.

Nyara Jones-Lowden, 9, said the program helped her learn how to listen to what other people had to say. The bubbly fourth-grader sometimes gets a little distracted when others are speaking, she confessed. But Girls on the Run helped her learn to focus and respectfully pay attention.

Nyara also learned that goals can be accomplished in many ways as she ran, walked, jogged and skipped her way to the 5K finish line.

As the program grows in popularity, Byerly hopes Girls on the Run can add programs at Downey Elementary and Ben Franklin elementary schools.

“I think, in Harrisburg especially, girls need to have a safe, emotional space where role models can help them overcome challenges,” Byerly said.

While the growth has been an unexpected blessing the past few years, it’s also created challenges for the group. Byerly hopes more community volunteers step in so that teachers don’t always have to run the programs.

She also looks forward to seeing the program come full circle as students transition to high school, allowing former participants to join as junior coaches.

In the near future, Byerly is eagerly anticipating the rollout of the newest Girls on the Run program. Heart and Soul, set to be offered this fall, focuses on helping middle-school girls live out random acts of kindness.

“Many of these girls have voices, and they want to be heard,” Byerly said. “They are of value to their families, their teachers and their communities. That’s a pretty powerful message that we’re not sure they’d hear without Girls on the Run.”

For more information on Capital Area Girls on the Run, visit www.capareagirlsontherun.org.

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