FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saint Mary’s to Host 5K for "Girls On The Run Michiana"
Media contact:
Gwen O’Brien
Director of Media Relations
Saint Mary's College
(574) 284-4579
May 2, 2011 (Notre Dame, Ind.)—Running can be about more than keeping your body in shape. For the new organization Girls On The Run Michiana, it’s about promoting self-esteem and confidence in third to fifth grade girls. On Wednesday, May 25 at 6 p.m., Saint Mary's College will host the first annual Girls on the Run Michiana 5K. The non-competitive run is for 12 girls from Swanson Primary Center in South Bend who have participated in the 10-week pilot program of Girls on the Run Michiana. One of the program coaches is Jackie Bauters '04, the cross country coach at Saint Mary’s College. Participating in the 5K with the girls will be their adult running buddies. Some major sponsors and others, including Saint Mary’s College President Carol Ann Mooney, have been invited to take part as well. While the public will be invited to participate in future Girls on the Run 5k events, this year they are invited to attend to support the girls.
Ironically, the story of how the women’s college got involved in Girls on the Run Michiana is tied to running. One of the organizers, Amy Cooper Collier of South Bend, was jogging on campus when she noticed banners hanging along the paths. “These banners speak to what Saint Mary’s students accomplish. There are photos of strong and confident young women involved in athletics, academics and in service. In our different ways, we are all striving toward the same goal: to make the world a better place one girl at a time,” Collier said.
When Bauters heard about Girls on the Run Michiana, she also saw a natural connection between the College and the program. “The missions of both mirror each other in some ways. Both look to develop educated women who give back to their communities. Both also seek to empower young women to grow as leaders and stand up for themselves. I think the ideas are the same, just more age specific. I felt like I had to be a part of it,” Bauters said of the organization. Besides serving as the coach, she sits on the board for Girls on the Run Michiana.
Girls On The Run is an international organization. The Michiana chapter was launched in January. “Society places pressure on girls to focus on their external appearance and diminishes girls’ internal qualities or academic abilities. That can cause girls’ confidence to take a nosedive around age twelve. The purpose of Girls on the Run is step in before girls reach that stage, to make sure they have the ‘confidence armor’ they need as they come into those critical and formative years,” said Collier.
Girl on the Run Michiana has been meeting with the Swanson students twice a week. The 20-lesson curriculum teaches life skills through group processing, running games and workouts and includes lessons on understanding yourself, valuing teamwork and realizing how individuals connect with and shape the world at large.
- The first group of lessons is centered on the girls getting to know themselves. They examine their values, their likes and dislikes and who they envision themselves to be. As the girls get to know themselves, they are also sharing with each other. Learning goals include “fueling our healthy pace”, “centering: the importance of slowing down” and “celebrating gratitude.”
- The next group of lessons concentrates on team building, being supportive, learning to listen and cooperate, etc. Learning goals include “standing up to peer pressure”, “gossiping hurts everyone” and “it’s okay to choose my friends.”
- The last lessons relate to the world at large. This includes making a contribution to your community and learning to recognize and deal with the negative messages we often receive from the world (media awareness, negative peer pressure, etc.). Learning goals include: “learning about community”, “tuning into a new message” (media literacy) and the development and implementation of a group community project.
“It’s terrific to see the girls challenging themselves to grow, encouraging one another, and growing as a team. The girls are learning skills in each of these areas and gaining the foundation to recognize and stop harmful behaviors as well as learning positive alternatives to conflict, gossip, and bullying,” said Collier.
Girls On The Run Michiana has an extensive list of short and long-term goals, reaching all the way to spring 2015. Collier and Bauters both hope to increase the connection between Saint Mary’s and Girls On The Run as the program grows, and getting Saint Mary’s students involved as assistant coaches and as 5K volunteers.
For more information on Girls On The Run, email Collier at amy@girlsontherunmichiana.org. Bauters can be reached at jbauters@saintmarys.edu.
About Saint Mary’s College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, women’s institution offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study. Saint Mary’s College has six nationally accredited academic programs: social work, art, music, teacher education, chemistry and nursing. Saint Mary’s College ranks among the top 100 “Best National Liberal Arts Colleges” in the U.S. News & World Report 2011 College Guide. Founded in 1844, Saint Mary’s is a pioneer in the education of women, and is sponsored by the Sisters of the Holy Cross.