Girls on the Run Launches in the Central Coast
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Carmel, Calif. – Aug. 27, 2024 – Girls on the Run International, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering young girls, recently launched a new council in California—Girls on the Run Central Coast. Girls on the Run creates and offers after-school programs designed for 3rd- to 8th-grade girls. The nonprofit helps participants build confidence, increase their level of physical activity, and learn essential life skills such as managing emotions, resolving conflicts, and forming friendships through the innovative integration of fun physical activities, engaging lessons, and impactful community projects. The transformational program will become available to girls in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties this fall. Monterey, San Benito, and San Luis Obispo counties will open for programming in spring 2025.
Kelsey Pearson, the founder and executive director of the council, grew up in Bellevue, Washington, where she competed as a top distance runner at Bellevue High School. She continued to run competitively at Stanford University. Pearson said, “I know from my days as a competitive athlete that the relationships developed through running and physical activity have the power to transform lives. The wife of my high school coach was an incredible mentor to me. I want to bring that kind of multigenerational female mentorship to the girls in my community by providing this nationally recognized high-quality after-school program. I’m excited to expand Girls on the Run and its mission in California.”
Girls on the Run Central Coast will begin its first 10-week season on the week of Sept. 9, with a celebratory end-of-season 5K on Saturday, Nov. 16, at the University of California, Santa Barbara. School administrators can learn more about how to bring the program to their school here. Registration for program participants is open until Sunday, Sept. 8.
The 5K Celebration welcomes community members, and event registration will open on Sunday, Sept. 15, at gotrcentralcoast.org. The nonprofit is also recruiting volunteers for the event. Interested community members can learn about how to get involved here.
Meg Skilling, a Girls on the Run alum and Girls on the Run Central Coast board secretary, said, “Growing up in the Bay Area, I had the opportunity to participate in the Girls on the Run program at my elementary school. Girls on the Run not only fueled my passion for running but encouraged me to develop leadership, empathy, positivity, and resiliency. It was one of the most rewarding experiences, and I would love to see the program brought to the Central Coast so local students may benefit from the program like I did.”
In previous years, Girls on the Run Silicon Valley served girls in Monterey County. Girls on the Run Central Coast will now continue to provide impactful and joyful programs to participants in Monterey County, as well as San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties. The new council will serve four to six sites in the fall, with plans to expand the number of sites in spring 2025.
Serena Ross, a teacher at Isla Vista Elementary in Santa Barbara, said, “I volunteered for Girls on the Run with my Gamma Phi Beta Sorority in Oregon and loved seeing the joy it brought to the lives of participants. When I moved to Santa Barbara for a new teaching position, I knew I wanted to bring the Girls on the Run experience to the students at my school.”
Girls on the Run Central Coast also invites community members who want to be champions for girls to join the National SoleMates Team to raise money for the program by participating in movement-based events and activities of their choosing. A few fun options the nonprofit recommends registering for include the Malibu Half Marathon on Sunday, Oct. 13, and the Monterey Bay Half Marathon on Sunday, Nov. 10. GOTR Central Coast also joins GOTR Silicon Valley as charity partners for the Big Sur International Marathon on April 27, 2025. Together, the neighboring councils will provide 15 marathon participants with a chance to raise funds and generate awareness for GOTR programs while training to run 26.2 miles. Learn more about these SoleMates opportunities here.
There is a tremendous need for welcoming, supportive spaces for young girls to gain confidence, get active, and connect with peers and trusted adults. Girls’ self-confidence begins to drop by age 9, and their physical activity levels decline starting at age 10 and continue to decrease throughout adolescence. Additionally, 50% of girls ages 10 to 13 experience bullying, such as name-calling and exclusion, at a time when peer relationships become more central to their lives.
Girls on the Run trains volunteer coaches to address those needs and help girls develop important life skills through lessons that creatively integrate movement. In fact, an independent study conducted by Dr. Maureen R. Weiss found that 97% of participants learned essential life skills at Girls on the Run, including managing emotions, resolving conflict, helping others, and making intentional decisions, that they continue to use at home, at school, and with their friends.
Pearson added, “I encourage community members to get involved by volunteering, donating, and spreading the word about Girls on the Run coming to the Central Coast!”
About Girls on the Run Central Coast
Launched in 2024, Girls on the Run (GOTR) Central Coast is an affiliate of Girls on the Run International and serves girls in Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties. The local nonprofit offers empowerment programs designed for girls in third to eighth grades to develop essential skills to successfully navigate life experiences. The program culminates with participants positively impacting their communities through a service project and having the physical and emotional preparedness to complete a celebratory 5K. Girls on the Run is offered in more than 160 councils across North America and has served more than 2.5 million girls since its inception in 1996. The organization hosts hundreds of 5Ks per year across the United States and Canada, making it one of the largest 5K series in the world. Visit gotrcentralcoast.org to learn more.