Join and Make an Impact on the Next Generation of Women Leaders
Girls on the Run Napa & Solano is looking for community members who want to empower young girls. Volunteers equip girls ages 8 to 13 with life skills and healthy living strategies so they can become leaders – today, tomorrow & lifelong. Thanks to the number of returning teachers, moms, family friends and community activists, only thirty-seven (37) volunteers are needed.
A volunteer life coach and teacher at Willow Elementary School, Shannon Hattyar, is nominated as volunteer of the year for the Heart of Napa 2019. Awards will be hosted by the Center for Volunteer & Non Profit Leadership (CVNL) on March 14th. Shannon (Sparkly in GOTR world) shared: “This program is wonderful. I am proud to be a Coach and have the opportunity to mentor girls to work towards their best potential as they continue to learn and grow.”
Volunteers will be trained on and use the national research-proven Girls on the Run life skill curriculum, so they can channel their passion to mentor and inspire small groups of girls. There will be 650 girls at 52 school sites and at least two volunteer life coaches are needed at each school. Life coaches facilitate 8 to 15 girls at a school site for 75 minutes, once or twice a week, over 10 weeks.
Girls on the Run is the elementary school curriculum and Heart & Sole is the middle school curriculum. The elementary curriculum is for volunteers who enjoy leading experiential games and the middle school curriculum is for those who are flexible with facilitating girl-driven discussions. All volunteers need to be comfortable sharing their authentic and healthy selves while having fun.
Girls on the Run Napa & Solano is a healthy empowerment program that combines the life-skills curriculum with engaging discussions, experiential games and activities, running, or just moving. Girls on the Run Napa & Solano is a local nonprofit council that is part of the Girls on the Run International movement. In 2018, 1059 girls with 76% low income and 75% from traditionally under represented ethnic or racial groups (Latina, Black/African American, Asian or Multiracial) were inspired to be confident, joyful, healthy and caring.
Girls on the Run topics include visualization, expressing feelings, celebrating their unique selves, positive self-talk, being empathetic, questioning the media’s definition of beauty, stopping bullies, eating healthy, and standing up for themselves and others. Heart & Sole discussions revolve around problem solving, living a balanced life, self-care, decision making, and boundary setting.
The spring program is March 4th through May 17th. Registration for girls to participate opens February 1st. The GOTR 5K Napa & Solano fundraiser will be held on May 11th (Mother’s Day Weekend) and community members are welcome. Volunteer training will be held on February 16th in Napa or February 23th in Fairfield to learn positive group facilitation strategies.
Volunteers need not be runners. Women volunteers are caring community members, parents, teachers or GOTR Alumna who are ready to make an impact. To act now and empower girls, visit GOTRNapaSolano.org/Coach for details or call 707-637-8909.