Girls on the Run is not a running club or a track team. With a unique curriculum focused on cultivating confidence, critical thinking skills, and healthy mental and physical habits, the nonprofit’s afterschool program for third through eighth grade girls is much more than its name implies. 

Girls on the Run’s Western Colorado Council began operating in 2000 in the Grand Junction area, and has since grown to serve girls from Frisco to Farmington to Moab — over 1200 girls across 80+ schools per year.

Studies show time and again that when girls reach third grade, three things happen: their participation in physical activity steeply declines in comparison to their male peers, girls begin to struggle with body image issues and practice restrictive eating habits, and ‘girl drama’ increases in market frequency and intensity. The rise of social media and screen time, and the social isolation and resulting decrease in mental health fostered by the COVID-19 pandemic have only exacerbated these issues.

Girls on the Run tackles all of this head on, and with stunning effectiveness. Girls who were least active at the start of the program consistently demonstrate a 40% increase in physical activity by the end of the season, 85% of girls report an increase in self confidence and sense of self worth, and 97% of participants report learning critical life skills including resolving conflict, helping others, and making intentional decisions.