Girls on the Run of Snohomish County and Boys & Girls Club of Snohomish County are partnering this spring to bring the eight-week Girls on the Run positive youth development program to girls in third-eighth grades.

According to Girls on the Run of Snohomish County Megan Wolfe, the new collaboration in Snohomish County provides important social-emotional learning opportunities for participants and helps kids connect, be active and learn critical life skills during this complicated time.

“For the past five years, 95% of our teams have met at school sites, but this year we had to find all new locations due to the school closures,” Wolfe said. “We looked at it as an opportunity to build new partnerships with organizations in our community while also re-evaluating our program accessibility. With a similar mission and the established locations of Boys & Girls Clubs in neighborhoods throughout the county, they were a great fit. We are excited for this new partnership that will help us be able to reach more girls in our community now and in the future.”

The Boys & Girls Club of Snohomish County will host teams at club locations in Edmonds, Everett, Sultan, Lynnwood, Mukilteo, Marysville, and potentially more as program sites are finalized. Participants do not need to belong to the Boys & Girls Club prior to joining the Girls on the Run (GOTR) program. Volunteer coaches are needed at all locations to ensure we can offer our program.

“When GOTR reached out about partnering, we really saw it as a way to further both of our missions and do what’s best for kids in our community,” said Marci Volmer, Chief Operating Officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County. “With the world looking so different for youth right now, being able to provide positive, healthy, and “normal” activities is very important to us. We are happy to provide a free Boys & Girls Club membership to all participants and are excited to have our members involved with Girls on the Run as well. The more supportive relationships our kids can build, the better!”

Teams meet twice per week during the eight-week season running April 19-June 12, 2021. Volunteer coaches utilize a structured curriculum to engage small teams of girls in fun, interactive lessons. Online teams and some community-based sites will also be offered. Program registration for third through fifth grade and sixth through eighth grade teams opens on March 1. The program registration fee is on a sliding scale from $20 to $185. No family will ever be turned away for inability to pay.

More information about the Girls on the Run program and volunteer coach opportunities can be found at: www.GirlsontheRunSnoCo.org.