Any participant in Girls on the Run can tell you “star power” is the inner glow that a confident girl brings to the table. Girls on the Run participants know that with star power they will thrive in the lunchroom, at school and in future boardrooms.
Thanks to generous donors, twice a week, third- to fifth-grade girls are learning to cultivate their star power. They show it every time they run a lap and high-five their coaches, and as they are completing their pre-run activities.
Before the running begins, there is circle time; a time for discussion and developing friendships. During an afternoon session at Pinellas Central Elementary School, participants learned about the many qualities of inner beauty.
Before the start of a run, each girl receives an index card with a peer’s name. After each lap, the runner writes a unique quality about her peer on the index card. After running, the girls get to see the nice things their peers said about them.
“The program teaches girls important skills early in their school life,” said Laura Moore, executive director of the Greater Tampa Bay chapter of Girls on the Run. “Skills that will take them beyond just middle school; they will serve them well throughout life.”
Just as PCF grants help feed the hungry, find safe homes for victims of domestic violence, and educate students in the arts, donations to Pinellas Community Foundation help young girls gain their star power.
The culmination of each semester includes a 5K run in St. Petersburg. The girls cheer each other on as brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers join in to accompany their star-powered girls.