21. Groups/Causes
• Kids in hospital
• Soldiers
• Hunger
• Homelessness
• Animals
Possible Projects
• Make coloring book
• Make blankets
• Collect food
• Habitat for Humanity
• Dog food drive
25. Key Concept How
Emotional Safety • Encourage girls to be respectful of
themselves and others
• Address any negative interactions/behaviors
Belonging and
Relationships
• Learn every girl’s name
• Cooperative games and activities
• Join in activities with the girls
• Facilitate interactions among girls
Value Diversity • Self-awareness of your own lens/perspective
• Ensure cultural sensitivity and appreciate
diversity – use inclusive language
Have consistent and clear
expectations
• Start/end on time (have supplies ready)
• Follow lesson structure
• Co-create expectations with girls
26. Key Concept How
Setting individual goals
and applying effort over
time
• Goal Sheets & 5k
• Community Impact Project
Freedom of choice • Allow youth to make decisions/choices
Focus on skill-building • Opportunities to learn and practice physical
skills and life skills
• Provide individual feedback
Create a mastery
motivational climate
• Focus on individual improvement and
mastery of skills (rather than competition and
comparison)
Motivation from within • Foster relationships and sense of belonging
• Autonomy support (foster a sense of choice)
• Focus on individual improvement and effort
27. Section Key Points
Coaches – Are
You Ready?
• Connecting coach to content
• Opportunity for coaches to talk about the lesson
Girls – Are You
Ready?
• Should be done BEFORE the lesson
• Helps reinforce prior learning
• Opportunity for one-on-one interactions with girls
Getting on
Board
• Connecting to previous learning
• Brief introduction to the topic for day (sit in circle)
• Typically a short game/activity
Stretch &
Strengthening
• 3 – 4 minutes
• Start with Cold Warm-Ups, then Format 1, 2, or 3
28. Section Key Points
Warm-Up • No “processing” after warm-up (highlighting instead)
• Goes deeper into learning goals
• Warm up the body
Workout • Continues the use of physical activity and integrates the
learning goals
• It’s ok for girls to walk, skip, hop, gallop or run. As long as
they are moving forward!
• Suggested time includes framing, explaining and workout
Processing
& Wrap-Up
• Processing empowers the girls to use skills outside of GOTR
• Between lesson goals - important for transfer of learning
• Connect energy awards to learning goals
29. Section Key Points
Identity
Cards
• Add ONE picture, word or phrase
• Give a set timeframe – 2-3 minute
• Allow girls to share with the person next to them
• Give one marker to each girl and collect immediately
• Keep Identity Cards together in manila envelope between
sessions
Lap Goal
Sheets
• Personal goals – no comparison across girls
• Help the girls understand that a goal is something you strive
for – you may not always reach it the first time – that just
means you keep trying
52. Lost Child Policy
1. As soon as a coach notices a child missing from the
group, notify the rest of the coaches and carefully search all
the areas used by the group.
2. Contact the senior staff member at the site location to organize
a search of the site and surrounding areas.
3. If the child is not found, police authorities must be alerted.
4. If the child is not found during these efforts, the child’s parents
should be contacted and updated every few minutes.
5. As soon as a child is found, contact the parent/guardian and
alert everyone else that was involved during the search efforts.
6. An Accident/Incident Report must also be submitted to the
respective council and a Crisis Management Report must also
be submitted to Girls on the Run International.
Overall philosophy and approach embraced and implemented by the organization is “positive youth development”Girls on the Run is a physical activity-based positive youth development program – or PA-PYD – designed to develop and enhance girls’ social, psychological, and physical competencies to successfully navigate life experiences. These competencies are most often referred to as life skills. What this means is that GOTR is a program that teaches physical skills and life skills concurrentlyA PA-PYD program has the content, structure, training, and motivating elements that promote healthy lifestyles and prevent unhealthy and risky behaviors
This diagram summarizes the PYD approach embraced by Girls on the Run process, as well as the direct and indirect outcomes of the program. First, we have trained coaches (that’s you!) who provide positive relationships and create a caring and supportive climate for the girls.Our coaches also ensure that the curriculum – which is designed to intentionally teach life skills – is implemented as intended.Over the course of the program the girls will develop life skills – which are known as the 5Cs +1 (i.e., confidence, competence, caring, connection, and character + contribution). Life skills are defined as competencies learned in one domain or context (e.g., Girls on the Run) that are successfully transferred to other domains and contexts (e.g., dealing with a bully at school; remaining calm after your little sibling did something to annoy you).Each day of the curriculum focuses on one or more of these life skills. The target life skills are highlighted at the beginning of each lesson. Here we provide a little more information about the 5Cs +1 and how they relate to the Girls on the Run curriculum.At the end of the program we want the girls to feel greater confidence in who they are. As such, the majority of the lessons in the curriculum target this important outcome. For instance, the girls learn to identify and handle their emotions, as well as share their feelings. Thus, they gain confidence in their ability to handle both comfortable and uncomfortable emotions and stand up for themselves and others, not only at Girls on the Run, but at school, at home, and in their neighborhoods.The girls also develop strength of character as they gain awareness of their ability to intentionally choose actions which demonstrate respect and responsibility towards themselves and others.Several lessons also teach the girls to respond to others and themselves with care and compassion. For example, the girls discuss friendly behaviors that show caring, and also learn strategies to stop gossip.The girls also have the opportunity to create positive connections with peers and adults through lessons targeting cooperative skills and friendship qualities which they then transfer to enhanced connections with parents and caregivers, teachers and peers, and in the community.Throughout the program the girls develop and improve physical, social, and emotional competence – for instance the girls are training over time for the 5k run.When the girls learn these life skills – they can ultimately contribute to community and society – which they demonstrate within the Girls on the Run program through the design and implementation of a Community Impact Project. Through this experience they are empowered to make a contribution in their communities and the world.The 5Cs +1 then contribute to healthy development through promotion of holistic health outcomes and prevention of unhealthy and risky outcomes. For instance, some indirect outcomes of the program may include promoting a physically active lifestyle and reducing health issues such as obesity, pregnancy, substance abuse, and eating disorders.
We hope you are excited to implement the new version of the curriculum.Stand up if you have coached for at least 1 season – at least 5 seasons – 10 seasons – 15 seasonsSo you know versions 1 and 2 like the back of your hand. It is always exciting to start something new! Rationale for training ALL coaches:Want launch to go smoothly – want girls and coaches to love itWant coaches to gain understanding of new layout, flow, key components – understand rationale and how different components will contribute to positive youth developmentHelp coaches understand that there will be a learning curve
Curriculum development process:Started with outcomes (5Cs + 1), then backwards mapped to learning goals, and finally to games and activitiesIncorporated key PYD conceptsConducted a curriculum pilot with 25 teams Coaches provided feedback via survey monkey after each lesson - data was compiled and used to make revisionsInformal interviews with the majority of coaches to get feedback on big picture changesFresh and new – but still GOTRLearning goals and topics are intact – but games, activities, lessons are differentWant to reinforce learning from previous versions of the curriculum – but add new learning opportunities that will continue to challenge and engage the girls
The themes of the core curriculum are intact
Each lesson follows the same structure (which is slightly different than versions 1 and 2)The next few slides provide more information about each aspect of the lessons
Note: The way you approach the next few slides will depend on whether you are training returning or new coaches. Returning coaches – discuss differences between version 3 and version 1 & 2 (e.g., Coaches – Are You Ready; Girls – Are You Ready)New coaches – cover each part of the lesson structure (as you would in a typical coach training)Differences:Coaches – Are You Ready?New section – as in version 1 and 2 includes learning goals and materialsAdditional components include:Target Life Skills – the 5Cs + 1 targeted in that specific lessonThink About It – Questions for coaches to consider before the lesson. Relates the topic of the day to their own experiences. Provides an opportunity for coaches to talk with one another about the lesson and ensure they are on the same page.Girls Are You Ready?Informal conversation that occurs BEFORE the official start of the lesson (while the girls are arriving, putting on shoes, etc.). Connects girls to prior learning – reinforces concepts and content from the last session Also allows for small group and one-on-one interactions between coaches and girls.
Let’s take a look at Getting on BoardAs you can see, we start with some time guidelines for the activity. This will be included with every activity in the curriculum. There are four parts to Getting on Board.Setting the Stage – overview of the lesson topic, connection to previous lesson, frames the activities – sometimes includes questions for the girls to consider before leading into the activityNote that in some instances the Setting the Stage section has more content than other versions of the curriculum. This allows for continuity between lessons, as the content connects them to previous learning and then leads into topic of the day.Set-Up was added as the result of pilot feedback – includes a list of materials for the activity, and identifies physical positioning of materials/coaches/girls for the activityHow it’s done – step-by-step outline of the activityProcessing Next is stretch and strengthening. We worked with an expert in youth fitness to look carefully at the stretching and strengthening exercises. The result was that there are some modifications to previous exercises, some key ones that we kept just the same andothers we added.We also were intentional in including flexibility and both muscle and bone strengthening exercises. Something we want to point out is that the time – 3 to 4 minutes – is really all the girls need. We coaches will need it more, so you may want to mention this to coaches for their own physical safety.
Moving on to the Warm-up – This activity will take the girls a little deeper into the topic area and will continue to warm up their bodies for the workoutNote that the structure is the same as Getting on Board (setting the stage, set-up, how it’s done) Also note that there is a change here - We have taken Processing out of this section. We want to keep the girls moving and the lesson flowing. So, there may be a short comment or quick question, but it’s purpose is just to highlight a key concept from the activity and connect to the workout. And then it’s time for the Workout – again, the same structure is used to assist the coaches in implementing the activityThere may be some brief content here that connects the activity to the topicThere may also be a “lap goal” included here. We will talk more about that in a little while.
As with previous versions of the curriculum – the processing section is critical to facilitating the girls’ understanding and encouraging them in how to apply the lessons and skills in other areas of their lives.Once again, there will be some targeted questions and content provided for coaches to use. Included in this section may be a follow-up on the “lap goal” that was set before the workoutWe have also added a life skills goal to this section. These goals are specific invitations/encouragements/challenges to the girls to take a piece of the lesson content into their life outside GOTR (at home, school, neighborhood, etc.). These life skills goals are used to promote continuity between lessons and will be part of the next lesson’s Girls Are You ReadyThe highlight of the lesson for so many girls will continue to be that signature time of giving and receiving Energy Awards and doing the closing cheer. There is more to say about processing later in the training
Returning coaches: Ask someone to share their favorite energy award!New coaches: Discuss energy awards and give one of your favorites!**Examples provided on the coach portal!
There are a few special additions to curriculum 3 that we want to highlight separately. The first of these is the Identity Card.•This special tool will be used throughout the season for processing and creating a visual history of each girl’s experience at GOTR•Coaches will keep these all season and bring them out as directed for girls to add pictures, words, and phrases that will help them reflect on what they are learning.•At the end they take it home so they can remember what they learned and all of the things that make them unique!•The girls that were involved in the pilot really loved this addition.
On the back of the Identity Card you’ll see what’s called “My Goals”•This is used throughout the season for girls to track their personal lap goals and accomplishments. •The focus is on personal effort and improvement•Coaches will need to be sure to identify what a lap is for the various lessons or workouts that the girls are doing•The directions for using “My Goals” are included in the workouts and processing sections at the end of the lessons.
Star Power – This is a new visualization exercise. We use the imagery of a star that is shining within. It is not dependent on an outside source for its shine but reflects the special and unique qualities within each of the girls. Just as each and every star is unique so are each of our girls. Included is content that uses the analogy of clouds that can temporarily block out a view of the stars but the star doesn’t disappear. Likewise, we all have “cloudy days” when it can be hard to see our stars shine....I’m sure you can see the analogy here. We have also added prompts to assist the coaches in timing out how they read through the visualization.NOTE: If you have time – you can lead the coaches through the visualization (Lesson 3 Getting on Board)
Stop and take a BrThRR (breather) is another new twist on an old theme. In the previous curriculum we taught the girls SBLR. We have expanded on this practice by adding a THINK component and a REVIEW component. We also have the girls develop this practice over the course of a couple lessons, building their skill with this throughout the curriculum (some aspects start in lesson 4 and 5 – where girls are encouraged to Stop & take a deep breath) – that continues to be used throughout and additional steps are added in subsequent lessons and reinforced throughout the curriculum
The Community Impact Project is a unique and important part of the GOTR experience. It is an opportunity, within the season, for the girls to come together and use the skills they have been learning to make a difference for others. It is an important experience in group decision making, service and giving back of themselves It is a continuation of their cooperative and collaborative group work skills developmentThe Coach’s role in the project is to facilitate the decision and help execute their plan; not to decide on projectfor the girls and then plan it all out. We’re all about empowering the girls.The way the lessons are laid out will set the girls up for success with their projects and help them learn that even a small project, developed with care and appropriate and realistic parameters, makes a differenceBased on feedback from coaches, the community impact project is introduced much earlier in the season. It is important for coaches to know from the beginning how it will play out. Here’s the new layout with an example.Lesson 7: The girls think about groups of people/causes that are important to them Lesson 10: The girls work together to identify possible projects that support the groups of people/causes.Lesson 12: The girls review project ideas, and decide what project they would like to implement.Lesson 20: The girls work together to assign roles and responsibilities related to the project. (decided to make food for the volunteers at Habitat for Humanity)Lesson 21: The girls implement the community impact project and evaluate their efforts.
Side Notes:Each icon that is placed within a lesson was put there with the intent of helping coaches do their best job of facilitating the lesson.The Coaches Notestypically will be used to add to the coach’s understanding of the topic. Engaging Repeat Participants includes hints and ideas for coaches that have girls that have participated in previous seasons.The Time Management icons is placed where time management is critical The Variation icon will include ideas for varying an activity and still maintain the alignment with the topic and content of the lesson. For example - It may be a variation that increases difficulty, adapts to larger or smaller team sizes or addresses a space issue without a full change of the activity.One other Icon is called Exercises and will point out which strengthening and stretching sets are recommended for that lesson
Think about your childhood - what was your best and worst experience with a coach (or teacher)?Walk through key concepts and provide examplesThis information is included in the introduction to the curriculum – and incorporated throughout in games, activities and coaches’ notes
Which one of those resonated with you the most? Share with the person next to you.
Highlight the key points for each section – you may want to provide this as a handout
Preparation is especially important when implementing something new Additional components (Identity Cards, etc.) – so need to be prepared and organizedWhen coaches understand the games and activities – the girls tend to also enjoy them and understand them
Highlight the key points for each section – you may want to provide this as a handout
