Girls on the Run is a national organization that empowers and strengthens the social, emotional, physical, and behavioral skills for young girls in grades third through eighth. There’s more than 175 chapters in the United States and seven in Pennsylvania.

Jennifer West is the Executive Director of Girls on the Run Lancaster.  Each year, about 2,000 participants and 600 volunteer coaches come through the program. West brought the organization along with her friend Carrie Jonson to Lancaster in 20009.

“At the time, we both had girls in third and fifth grade. Carrie Googled girls’ self-esteem and running and thought, my gosh, this is something that Lancaster needs. This is something our girls could benefit from. Let's get it started. So, we went through the process of getting approved to be a council, which took about a year. And in the fall of 2009, we started with 25 girls. Then we grew to about 170 or 90, and then we grew to over 300. And it has just snowballed since. And it's been absolutely amazing how Lancaster and Lebanon have welcomed us.”

The overall goal of this program is to build confidence, so they develop vital life skills. During a ten-week season, the girls meet twice a week for about a hour and a half after school.

“We talk about healthy habits and teamwork and resilience and conflict resolution, how to be a good friend, because in third grade you're really figuring out what is it like to be a good friend? What qualities do I have that I can give to somebody else? And then what qualities am I looking for in a good friend? And we talk a lot about being unique and being individual because as girls get a little bit older, they tend to look at those around them and think, wow, I, I want to be like her. I want to look like her. I want to dress like her, whatever it is. And we say that you are uniquely you and you are just who you are supposed to be. And let's celebrate that and let's really figure out who that is.”