For more information contact United Way of Southwest Michigan and the Benton Harbor-St. Joseph YMCA will work together to bring the highly acclaimed Girls on the Run program to Southwest Michigan.

Girls on the Run is an international non-profit prevention program for pre-adolescent girls in 3rd through 5th grades. The 12-week program uses interactive curriculum and running to help the girls develop self-respect and healthy lifestyle choices before entering their middle and high school years. The program culminates on the 13th week with a 5k community run. It will be run as an after-school program at a variety of venues in Berrien County starting in the spring of 2009.

United Way is partnering with the YMCA to run the program. As the program begins, United Way will provide some funding along with a great deal of staff time to run the program. Initial funding for the program came in large part from a start-up grant from the Frederick S. Upton Foundation.

“By providing the staff time and seeking other funding, we will be able to keep costs down and make this program more accessible for all girls,” said United Way of Southwest Michigan Community Impact Director Joann McMahon.

“Girls on the Run fits so perfectly with the mission of the YMCA,” said Executive Director Mike Ahern. “We are about building a healthy mind, body and spirit. This program builds up girls and teaches them to be healthy and confident about who they are. It will help girls stand up to peer pressure and achieve. We are thrilled to be a part of bringing this opportunity to girls in our area.”

McMahon first worked with the Girls on the Run program in Kalamazoo. “I got to see how incredibly powerful it was as a self-esteem builder,” she said. “They use the running to teach self-esteem, healthy living, and caring for yourself and others. I saw such a change in the girls who participated.

“Another element to Girls on the Run is the focus on community,” she continued. “The girls are challenged to look at themselves within their own community and define themselves within it, be it their school, neighborhood, church, or family. The curriculum also ends with a community service project.”

The program is not a running or anti-obesity program, McMahon said. These are proven positive outcomes of the program, as it focuses heavily on healthy choices. Nationally other positive outcomes of the program have included reduction in teen pregnancy and high school drop out rates, a more positive body image, and an increase in the level of activity and wiser nutrition choices.

For the first session, it is estimated that 150 girls will participate at a variety of venues. At this point there are commitments to run the program at Benton Harbor, St. Joseph, Lakeshore, Niles and Buchanan school districts. The Boys and Girls Club of Benton Harbor, YMCA of St. Joseph/Benton Harbor and Girl Scouts of Singing Sands are also committed to after school programs. More venues may be available as groups learn about the program.

There will be a yet-to-be-determined fee for participation in the program, McMahon said. But it is the goal that through scholarships and sponsors, no girl will be turned away from the program.

Internationally, United Way of Southwest Michigan is one of about 160 councils of Girls on the Run. The program is an excellent fit with United Way’s new focus areas of Education, Income and Health. “The program has shown both excellent health benefits and has proven to reduce drop out rates,” McMahon said. “This is a way to help build a stronger, wiser community.”

Plans for Girls on the Run of Berrien County is still in its planning stages. A steering committee is now working to promote and plan the program. There will be ample opportunity to volunteer with the program. Coaches and assistants will be needed for the groups along with people to help during the 5k run.

“I’m truly excited about this program and what it can do for the girls in our community,” McMahon said. “This experience can positively change the path a girl takes as she grows throughout her life.”

For more information about Girls on the Run, visit www.uwsm.org/girlsontherun or call Peg Schaffer at United Way at 269.925.7772 ext. 30. A website for the local Girls on the Run of Berrien County is under construction and will be available soon.

About United Way:

United Way is a global network that advances the common good, creating opportunities for a better life for all by focusing on the three key building blocks of education, income and health. The United Way movement creates long lasting community change by addressing the underlying causes of problems that prevent progress in these areas. LIVE UNITED is a call to action for everyone to become a part of the change. For more information about United Way, please visit www.uwsm.org or www.liveunited.org.

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