Our Organization

Girls on the Run® is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization designed to enhance participants' social, emotional and physical skills to successfully navigate life experiences. Our fun, interactive lessons meet the unique needs of participants of all abilities and backgrounds.

Mission

We inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running.

Vision

We envision a world where every girl knows and activates her limitless potential and is free to boldly pursue her dreams.

Our Organization

Hero stars bottom
Smiling Girls on the Run participant hugging another smiling participant from behind
Hero stars bottom
Two Girls on the Run participants smiling at 5k
Hero stars bottom

Girls on the Run West Michigan is a council of Girls on the Run International, proudly serving Kent, Muskegon and Ottawa Counties. Since our council’s inception, we have unlocked the power and potential of our participants and made a lasting impact on our community through participant-led service projects. 

Hero stars bottom

Inclusion & Diversity

Girls on the Run participants stand back to back with a teammate smiling.

Inclusion & Diversity

At Girls on the Run, our core values guide our way. We are deepening our ongoing and continual commitment to a world where every person can know and activate their limitless potential. We value the dignity and humanity of all people and are dedicated to being an inclusive, diverse, equitable and accessible organization. 

Learn More

Core Values

Recognize our power and responsibility to be intentional in our decision making

Embrace our differences and find strength in our connectedness

Express joy, optimism and gratitude through our words, thoughts and actions

Nurture our physical, emotional and spiritual health

Lead with an open heart and assume positive intent

Stand up for ourselves and others

App

Did You Know?

  • Girls on the Run was founded in 1996 with 13 participants and has now served over 2 million from coast to coast.
  • Each season, program participants in 3rd-8th grade develop essential emotional, social and physical skills to successfully navigate life experiences.
  • Participants positively impact their communities.
  • Our programs, Girls on the Run and Heart & Sole, end each season with a celebratory 5K event.
  • Girls on the Run hosts hundreds of 5Ks per year across the United States and Canada, making it one of the largest 5K series in the world.
  • The National Afterschool Association (NAA) recognized Girls on the Run as one of the most influential after-school programs in health and wellness.
  • Because of its evidence-based impact, Girls on the Run has been featured in numerous publications and academic journals.
Our People Our Impact Our Newsletter