Health & Fitness
Maplewood Business: Girls on the Run
Maggie Siemer from Girls on the Run answered a few questions about their business. GOTR's St. Louis headquarters is in Maplewood but you can see their t-shirts all throughout St. Louis.
Business name: Girls on the Run St. Louis
How long have you been in Maplewood?
We moved to Maplewood in June, 2010.
What does Girls on the Run do?
Girls on the Run St. Louis (GOTR-STL) empowers girls for a lifetime of healthy living. We inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running. GOTR-STL provides an innovative physical activity, positive youth development program in the Greater St. Louis area. The program, for girls in 3rd-8th grades (8-14 years), combines training for a 5k (3.1 mile) run with life skill lessons designed to encourage healthy habits and active lifestyles. They strive to increase each girl’s fitness level and self-esteem as well as teach them skills that will help them navigate the pressures of adolescence and reduce the likelihood of engaging in risky behaviors. We work to reduce adolescent pregnancies, eating disorders, depression, suicide attempts, the occurrence of substance/alcohol abuse and childhood obesity.
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Tell me about your program?
The GOTR-STL program utilizes an academically evaluated curriculum delivered in small groups by 2 volunteer coaches (min.) per program, twice weekly for 10 weeks, resulting in a coach to girl ratio of 1:3. The curriculum contains 20 lessons focused on specific life skills such as healthy decision-making, conflict resolution, healthy eating, body image, leadership, teamwork & goal setting. Each team participates in a community service project of its own design. At the end of the program, the girls participate in a 5k as the culminating achievement of the previous 10 weeks.
What are you most proud of with your Girls on the Run experience?
In 2012 we began celebrating our 10th anniversary and serving more than 10,000 girls! In 2011-2012, we operated programs in more than 225 schools serving more than 4,500 girls. In the 2012-2013 seasons, we will serve more than 5,000 girls in more than 240 schools in 19 counties across eastern Missouri and western Illinois. Our program is offered in 55 school districts and 43 independent schools within our service area. The Greater St. Louis community has embraced our mission and helped us work to empower a generation of young girls in our region!
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What are some of your favorite places to go/ things to do in Maplewood?
We are very proud to call Maplewood our home! We enjoy all the wonderful community events, delicious food and the wonderful walkability/running opportunities in Maplewood.
Is there anything else that you would like to share?
We appreciate the wonderful community that is Maplewood. Maplewood-Richmond Heights Elementary and Maplewood-Richmond Heights Middle Schools both have wonderful Girls on the Run and Girls on Track teams at their schools with committed coaches from the community!