About Heart & Sole (6th-8th) Program
At Girls on the Run, we believe that adolescents have amazing gifts and strengths to cultivate! Heart & Sole creates a positive, structured
space for middle school girls to learn about themselves, explore new ideas, cultivate empathy, strengthen connections and develop skills
that will help them as they move through adolescence and beyond. The Heart & Sole curriculum was developed to meet the unique needs of middle school girls. Rich with themes girls can relate to, the curriculum addresses the whole girl—body, brain, heart, spirit and social connection--
and builds important life skills.
Heart & Sole is accessible to all girls regardless of athletic ability or fitness level and considers the range of ages and varied experiences
of middle schoolers. Physical activity is a core element of the program and includes strength and conditioning appropriate for this age group.
The season concludes with the Girls on the Run 5K, a celebratory event that underscores the confidence, competence, connection, character and caring they’ve been developing in the program and gives them a tangible sense of goal setting and achievement.
space for middle school girls to learn about themselves, explore new ideas, cultivate empathy, strengthen connections and develop skills
that will help them as they move through adolescence and beyond. The Heart & Sole curriculum was developed to meet the unique needs of middle school girls. Rich with themes girls can relate to, the curriculum addresses the whole girl—body, brain, heart, spirit and social connection--
and builds important life skills.
Heart & Sole is accessible to all girls regardless of athletic ability or fitness level and considers the range of ages and varied experiences
of middle schoolers. Physical activity is a core element of the program and includes strength and conditioning appropriate for this age group.
The season concludes with the Girls on the Run 5K, a celebratory event that underscores the confidence, competence, connection, character and caring they’ve been developing in the program and gives them a tangible sense of goal setting and achievement.
Why It Matters
Girls face social pressures and conflicting messages about how they should act and who they should be. Studies show that by adolescence, girls’ confidence drops about twice as much as boys’. Friendships become more complicated and challenging, girls’ perception of their academic ability declines, the likelihood of anxiety and depression increases and participation in physical activity plummets. It doesn’t have to be this way. We believe that every girl is inherently full of power and potential. By knowing they are the leaders of their lives, these are the girls who will change the world.
What Girls Learn
Specific skills include:
- Team-building
- Creating a support system
- Boundary setting
- Making connections & friendships
- Goal setting
- Problem solving
- Emotional regulation
- Standing up for themselves and others
- Self-care
- Overcoming obstacles
- Decision making
- Asking for and providing help
Format
Teams of 8-15 girls meet twice per week for 10 weeks. Lessons are 75 minutes each.
Sample Lesson
See our program in action! Click here for a Sample Lesson.
Ready to sign up?
