Girls on the Run, based in Valdosta, will soon expand its physical activity-based youth development program for girls in grades three to eight in Colquitt County. Executive Director Mary Crawford said the program will begin in the spring 2023 season.

MOULTRIE, Ga. – Girls on the Run South Georgia will soon expand its services to Colquitt County.

Girls on the Run South Georgia is based in Valdosta and is a local council of the Girls on the Run, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in Charlotte, N.C., in 1996.

The organization is a physical activity-based youth development program for girls in grades three to eight and currently serves 35 counties throughout the region. 

“We plan to serve all girls in grades [three] to [eight] at their respective schools or local community sites in Colquitt County beginning with the spring 2023 season,” Executive Director Mary Crawford said in an email interview Tuesday.

She added, “[The] lessons are fun and engaging, [and teach] specific skills and strategies that girls can use at home, at school and with friends.”

Its mission is to inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum that creatively integrates running.

The organization has two programs: third grade to fifth grade and sixth grade to eighth grade.

“During the program, girls will develop and improve competence, feel confidence in who they are, develop strength of character, respond to others and themselves with care, create positive connections with peers and adults and make a meaningful contribution to community and society,” Crawford said. 

Each session is led by trained volunteer coaches who guide and mentor the participants. 

According to the Girls on the Run South Georgia website, the coaches use physical activity and dynamic discussions to build social, emotional and physical skills while encouraging healthy habits for life.

Throughout the sessions, the participants will gain critical life skills in confidence, character, care, connections, competence and contribution. 

Learning the skills will help strengthen the participant’s potential when societal pressures and conflicting messages about how to feel and act can cause doubt and uncertainty, the organization said.

Crawford said, “The programs conclude with all participants walking or running in a celebratory 5K event which gives them a tangible sense of achievement as well as a framework for setting and achieving life goals.”

To learn more on how to host a team at your school, volunteer to coach a team or are interested in sponsoring a team, email Mary Crawford at mary.crawford@girlsontherun.org.

For additional information about Girls on the Run South Georgia, please visit www.girlsontherunsouthgeorgia.org.