Girls on Track Program, 6-8th Grades
Today's middle-school girls face many challenges and obstacles that can affect their emotional and physical well-being. The Girls on Track curriculum is designed to address these challenges by empowering them to make thoughtful and healthy decisions. Like Girls on the Run, the Girls on Track curriculum is delivered over the course of 10 to 12 weeks and addresses the societal, mental and emotional challenges particular to their age.
Like the Girls on the Run curricula, we begin by encouraging the girls to examine and better understand who they are and what's important to them. Once they have a deeper awareness of their individual values, we look at the role of teams and healthy relationships. Lastly, the girls explore how they can positively connect with and shape the world.
The curriculum allows for more mature processing around certain topics including eating disorders, internet safety, relationships, cyber-bullying and tobacco and alcohol use. The girls discuss these subjects on an in-depth level and use their personal experiences to shape thought-provoking discussion. The Girls on Track curriculum provides girls with the skills to shut out the noise of the external world that is attempting to limit who she is and to instead listen to her individual truth – the one that will lead her toward an enriching and contented life.
Running is also incorporated into the curriculum. We use physical activity to inspire and motivate girls throughout the program, to encourage lifelong health and fitness, and most importantly, to build confidence through accomplishment. At the end of each season, the girls and their running buddies complete a 5k running event which gives the girls a tangible sense of achievement as well as a framework for setting and achieving life goals. This culminating celebratory 5k event is a transformative moment when the girls realize that even the seemingly impossible IS possible.
READ: Getting Real and the Pink Elephant in the Room, a blog by Molly Barker
Topic covered include:
Self-care, Self-awareness, Knowing Self
Lesson One: Getting to Know Each Other
Lesson Two: Understanding the Girl Box
Lesson Three: Learning to Deal: Minimizing Daily Stress
Lesson Four: It’s All About Balance
Lesson Five: Nutrition and Healthy Eating
Lesson Six: Empowered Bodies
Lesson Seven: Emotional Health: All Filled Up!
Lesson Eight: Centering: the Importance of Slowing Down
Lesson Nine: Gratitude: Celebrating our Bodies our Minds and our Spirits
Connectedness: Selecting Healthy Relationships and Keeping Them Healthy
Lesson Ten: Conflict Resolution and Standing up For Myself
Lesson Eleven: Collaborative Leadership
Lesson Twelve: Peer Pressure/Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drugs
Lesson Thirteen: Gossiping and Bullying: Power vs. power
Lesson Fourteen: Cruising and Using the Internet
Lesson Fifteen: Romantic Relationships/Dating
Lesson Sixteen: Running a 5k!
Empowerment: Celebrating and Sharing Our Strengths
Lesson Seventeen: Tuning into a New Message (Combating the temptation to go into the Girl Box)
Lesson Eighteen: You Call IT!
Lesson Nineteen: Celebrating and Honoring our Living Planet
Lesson Twenty: Passing the Baton: How we serve as empowered role models to other girls
Lesson Twenty-One: Community Service Project Lesson Twenty-Two: Community Service Project Lesson Twenty-Three: Girl-Bonds: A Lifetime of Friendship
Lesson Twenty-Four: Final Celebration!
