Girls at Vachel Lindsay Elementary collected hundreds of items for the Central Illinois Food Bank

Girls on the Run sites complete a community service project as a very important part of the curriculum.

Under the guidance of the coaches, the girls learn “What is a Community” and how they can make a difference by designing a community service project.  The girls brainstorm for ideas, decide on a final project, inform their families and friends, and carry out the project.

The girls at each site were very enthusiastic and creative about their projects which included a canned food drive for the Community Food Pantry, a wish list drive for Animal Protective League, gift baskets for teachers, cleaning scuff marks from a gym floor, collecting books and games for St. John’s Children’s Hospital, and decorating a wall at school.  Based on reasonably small individual efforts, our  GOTR and GOT girls made significant impacts within their community.  When asked “What did you learn from GOTR?”, one 8-year old girl responded “How to be a better runner and citizen”.

Why is community service important?  Community service allows the girls to discover that they can make a difference in their communities!