As most Americans know, poor self-esteem, especially in younger generations, is a major issue, but thanks to organizations like Girls on the Run, a difference is being made in our communities.
Girls on the Run (GOTR) is a national organization that has been around since 1996, with the Northeast Tennessee Council being founded in 2007. Local council director Angela Huffine explained that since 2007, they have served 13,000 girls in third through fifth grades across northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia.
With the rise of social media, as well as turbulent events like the COVID-19 pandemic and the devastation of Hurricane Helene, younger generations, especially young girls, have many threats to their mental health and self esteem. Girls on the Run is an incredibly valuable program to support young girls’ mental health and self esteem.
According to Huffine, the program works in three parts: allowing the girls to get to know themselves individually, then the importance of working in a team and dealing with compromise, and finally, the girls learn that they are a part of a community, working on a community impact project. Unlike organized sports, Girls on the Run is “positive, fun, and interactive” and teaches girls that “everyone has something to bring to the table”– lessons that impact girls for years after the program ends.
Across northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia, there are 25 Girls on the Run sites, with all of the elementary schools in Johnson City having a site. The local council also partners heavily with ETSU, hosting interns from the College of Public Health as well as the College of Business and Technology.
ETSU is also the site of the organization’s annual fall 5K, which takes place on Sunday, Nov. 10, at the CPA. Volunteers are needed for the event, and individuals can sign up by going to gotrnetn.org/5k, scrolling to the “Volunteer at our 5K” section, and filling out the form linked below. The 5K itself starts at 3pm, while pre-race fun starts at 2pm.
Can’t make it to that event and you’re over 18? Sign up to be a coach by visiting gotrnetn.org/coach. Girls on the Run is one of just many ways you can make a difference in the self esteem in the younger generation of Johnson City, and east Tennessee.
