Submitted photo Girls on the Run participated in a 5K run at Watson Elementary School in Massillon this past spring. Each eight-week program concludes with a 5K run for girls in grades three through eight. Founded in 1996 by Molly Baker in Charlotte, North Carolina, the program was created as a response to the growing decline in physical activity and mental health levels in girls in grades 3 through 8. The program recently launched at the Central YMCA in downtown Youngstown and is looking for participants.

YOUNGSTOWN — An international nonprofit aimed at girls in grades three through eight is running into Mahoning County.

Girls on the Run, founded in 1996 by Molly Baker in Charlotte, North Carolina, was created in response to the growing decline in physical activity and mental health levels in girls from 3rd through 8th grade. The program became Girls on the Run International, a 501(c)(3) organization in 2000.

According to Brain Ohms, executive director of Girls on the Run East Central Ohio in Canton, the organization has grown into 167 individual councils across the United States and Canada and serves more than 200,000 girls a year.

It now can add Youngstown to that list. The organization will be based out of the Central YMCA in downtown Youngstown.

The organization is dedicated to creating a world where every girl can develop her potential and is free to pursue her dreams, according to its website.

“Our mission is to inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum that creatively integrates running,” Ohms said.

Girls on the Run East Central Ohio was started in 2009 under the name Girls on the Run of Stark County by Patty Lovell.

“In our 16-year history, we have expanded to five additional counties (Carroll, Columbiana, Mahoning, Tuscarawas and Wayne) and have served over 8,000 girls,” Ohms said.

Girls on the Run offers two separate programs: Girls on the Run for girls in third through fifth grades, and Heart & Sole, for girls in sixth through eighth grades.

Girls on the Run is designed to inspire individuals of all abilities to discover, build and grow their self-confidence. Together, they develop a sense of community and connection as a team. Volunteer coaches facilitate lessons that blend physical activity with life skills development, including managing emotions, fostering friendships and expressing empathy.

At the end of the season, the team completes a community impact project and a 5K together, which provides a tangible sense of accomplishment and sets a confident mindset into motion, Ohms said.

Heart & Sole seeks to meet the unique needs of sixth- through eighth-grade girls of all abilities. The program considers the whole person — body, brain, heart, spirit and social connection. Heart & Sole offers an inclusive place of belonging, where participants feel supported and inspired to explore their emotions, cultivate empathy and strengthen their physical and emotional health. At the end of the season, all team members complete a 5K.

Jennifer Gerber, 37, of Canton, has served as a life skills coach for Girls on the Run for four seasons.

“There is a curriculum provided and each girl gets a journal that they use throughout the season. We spend the first half of each practice reviewing a lesson. Each lesson has a theme. For example, how to recognize and regulate our emotions, how to choose good friends, how to impact our community, learning to appreciate our differences and learning how to approach challenges (big and small),” she said.

“There are tools provided that help make each lesson interactive. We talk through the lesson but also there is an active part that brings it to life, usually a game or challenge. The second half of practice is physical. The girls run /walk, starting small and increasing their stamina and distance each practice. They work up to the 5K at the end of the season,” Gerber said.

She said the 5K is a lot of fun, and all of the Girls on the Run sites in East Central Ohio attend.

“It is truly a celebration with lots of energy, music and runners. Some girls run, some walk and most do a little of both. We just encourage the girls to move, whether that is running, walking, skipping or jumping,” Gerber said. “As the season progresses, the girls gain confidence and begin to lead certain parts of the practice. For example, the stretching session before each running activity. The girls also lead the brainstorming and planning for the community project that they complete toward the end of the season. GOTR is a wonderful opportunity for all girls, no matter their abilities, to grow, make friends, do hard things and most importantly, have fun.”

Ohms said all interested girls in grades three through eight and their families are invited to come to the Central YMCA, 17 N Champion St, Youngstown, between 9 and 11 a.m. Saturday to learn more and register for the program.

More information can also be obtained by calling 844-446-8779.