With Girls on the Run, physical activity meets self-empowerment in a twice-a-week afterschool program for elementary and middle school aged girls. Girls on the Run is a 10-week program that teaches responsibility, self-confidence, teamwork, and emotional health to girls ages 8 to 13.

In addition to life skills, participants also train for a 5k run at the end of the program. Each site that has a Girls on the Run program is called a chapter, and each chapter belongs to a regional council. Most Girls on the Run chapters operate out of schools and are taught by volunteer coaches, teachers or community member volunteers. Each chapter needs 2 coaches present at each meeting and most chapters have 4 coaches total. In North Carolina, there are 7 Girls on the Run councils covering the state from the mountains to the coast.

It takes about $7,500 to start your own council, so consider joining an existing council first and simply starting a chapter at your church, school, or local organization. Hosting a chapter at a local school or church can keep the program rent-free as well. Every local council sets the registration fee to join the program and run in the 5k and each council also offers a scholarship program for those who need it. The 10-week program for each chapter costs about $1,000-$2,000 to cover materials and program fees.

Girls on the Run was started in Charlotte, North Carolina and is now impacting young girls across the country. It’s a low-cost way to get active and help young girls develop important life skills.