Girls on the Run of Champaign County
Girls on the Run empowers girls to embrace their uniqueness and inner strength through a ten-week program led by trained coaches. Participants in 3rd-5th grade engage in discussions, activities, and running games to develop skills for navigating life and fostering a lifelong appreciation for health. The program concludes with a community service project and a celebratory 5k event, promoting physical and emotional readiness.
WHY IT MATTERS
Studies show that 3rd-8th grade is a critical period of time for girls. Their self confidence begins to drop by age nine, 50% of girls ages 10 to 13 experience bullying, and physical activity levels begin to decline.
A recent independent study found that the Girls on the Run intentional life skills curriculum, delivered by highly trained coaches, positively impact girls’ lives by helping them increase their self-confidence, develop healthy relationships, and feel good about themselves.
At an age when girls are constantly trying to measure up to ideas of who they should be when they’re still discovering who they are, Girls on the Run shows them that their potential isn’t just enormous, it’s beyond measure.
GET INVOLVED. TRANSFORM LIVES.
When you partner with us, you make it possible for more girls to unlock their power and potential. Join Girls on the Run as we inspire, encourage and strengthen confidence in the next generation of women
FALL 2025 SITES:
Eastlawn: Tuesdays &Thursdays from 2:45-4:15PM
Kenwood: Tuesdays & Thursdays from 3:00-4:15PM
St. Matthew: Tuesdays & Thursdays from 3:30-5PM
SMART Christian Academy: Tuesdays & Thursdays from 3:30-5PM
South Side: Tuesdays & Thursdays from 3:30-5PM
Stephens Family YMCA: Mondays & Wednesdays from 4:30-6PM
AND Tuesdays & Thursdays from 4PM-5:30PM
Stratton: Tuesdays & Thursdays from 3:45-5:15PM
Unity West: Mondays & Wednesdays from 3-4:15PM
University Primary: Mondays & Wednesdays from 3-4:30PM
Westview: Tuesdays & Thursdays from 3-4:15PM
Don't see your school? Join our team at the Y! The deadline to register for our Spring 2026 season is January 31, don't wait!
*Registration button will only be visible when registration is live.
WHAT GIRLS LEARN
CONFIDENCE
Lessons are designed to build girls' self-worth and help them feel greater confidence in who they are. Activities help girls recognize their personal strengths and teach them how to stand up for themselves and others.
CHARACTER
By gaining awareness of the power they possess to make intentional decisions, girls learn to choose positive actions which demonstrate respect and responsibility towards themselves and others.
CARE
Throughout each season, girls learn to respond to others and themselves with care and compassion. Lessons and activities further develop their abilities to sympathize and empathize both within and beyond their social groups.
CONNECTIONS
Girls on the Run lessons focus on cooperative skills and team building through a positive group setting. Girls learn firsthand how to create positive connections with parents and caregivers, teachers, peers, and their communities.
COMPETENCE
Our Program provides skill-building experiences to nurture girls' physical, social and emotional competencies that they apply in other areas of their lives such as home, school, and in the neighborhood. Completing a 5k at the end of the season gives them a tangible opportunity to apply all that they have learned.
CONTRIBUTION
When girls develop and strengthen these life skills, they can thrive. More importantly, they can then develop a final skill: CONTRIBUTION. Girls on the Run inspires girls to build lives of purpose and to make a meaningful contribution to community and society. This comes to life though a key element of the curricula when each teams creates and executes a community service project.