This season, Girls on the Run Greater Boston will post an overview of each week's lessons for families/guardians to follow along with their participants over the next 8 weeks.

Please note that your participant's lesson schedule may vary slightly based on schedule changes.

Girls on the Run

Lesson 11: Friendship 

The big idea for Lesson 11 was Friendship. The goals for this lesson were to identify the qualiti

es we look for and bring to a friendship. In our first activity, we took time to consider friendship qualities that matter, and in our warm-up, we went on a scavenger hunt to look for these qualities in our teammates and in ourselves. During the workout, we continued to practice our Stop & Take a Breather strategy but in the context of friendship. The GOTR Goal for this lesson was: Notice who you have chosen to be around and if they encourage you to be yourself.

Questions and conversation starters:

1. What did you learn about friendship?

2. Do you have to be friends with everyone? Why or why not? (Share your own experiences.)

Lesson 13: Perspective 

The big idea for Lesson 13 was Perspective. We learned about the power of perspective where you put yourself in someone else’s shoes. We practiced being perspective detectives and understanding both sides of a story as coaches acted out skits. During our workout, we completed laps partnered up, and asked “Would You Rather questions” – the goal was not to share our own answers but to understand WHY our partner chose what they did, even if we didn’t agree! The GOTR Goal for was: Put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Notice what it does to your Star Power and their Star Power.

Questions and conversation starters:

1. Why is it important to put yourself in someone else’s shoes? Why is it sometimes hard?

2. Let’s try to put ourselves in each other’s shoes, like you did during your workout. What’s your best “Would You Rather” question?

Heart & Sole (2x a week)

Lesson 10

The Big Idea in Lesson 10 was: asking for help isn’t always easy, but it is important to ask.  This is one of the first lessons about building a support system.  In this lesson, the girls began to talk about asking for help, and practiced empathy when they gave advice to someone who is struggling with asking for help. After doing a second interval workout where they got to see their physical progression, the girls shared in their journals some of their experiences with asking for help.  As a group, they brainstormed some of their Heart & Sole skills to problem-solve any obstacles they have or may face with asking for help.  The Take Home Challenge for this lesson was to ask for help, even when it’s difficult.

Questions and Conversation Starters:

1. Tell me about your second interval workout!  How did it compare to your first one? (Remember to focus on personal improvement and effort.)

2. What are some ways I can help you when you need it? (And share some ways that you could use help from your Heart & Sole girl at home.)

Lesson 12

The Big Idea in Lesson 12 was: we can get and give support.  In this lesson, the girls role-played scenarios where they practice overcoming obstacles for asking for help, asking for and providing help,  and extending the reach of their Girl Wheel.  They also shared with teammates what makes them someone others can rely on for support, and they celebrated their own strengths.  The activities in today’s lesson helped the girls feel more connected as a team and reflect on how others see them.  The Take Home Challenge for this lesson was to hang up the comments from their teammates someplace where they can see it regularly so they can be reminded of how others see them.

Questions and Conversation Starters:

1. What makes you someone others can rely upon?  Do you want to share with me what some of your teammates wrote?

2. What did you write about some of your teammates?  What were their responses to what you or others wrote?

3. Why do you think it’s important the share positive feedback with others?

Heart & Sole (1x a week)

Lesson 5

In Lesson 5, the Big Idea was we can get help and give help, especially in moments of stress. Most adolescents deal with stress on a daily basis and often struggle with how to manage it. Today's lesson focused on who to ask for help, how to give help, and ways to reduce stress in their lives.

In the first Activity, the girls played a balloon game that showed how stress can mount. During the Workout, girls partnered to complete a challenging course that gave them opportunities to give and ask for help. In the Journal, girls considered areas of their Wheels where they currently have support as well as areas where they should consider asking for additional help.

The Take-Home Challenge for this lesson was to ask someone they are comfortable with if they can help them with their stressful feelings and if they noticed someone else is feeling stressed, to ask how they can help them.

Questions & Conversation Starters:

1. What are some things in life that stress you out? What are some ways to reduce that stress? (Share some examples of your own.)

2. How can we help each other at home with stress and reducing stress?

3. Why is it important to ask for help when you need it? (Share examples from your life.)

4. KEEP MOVING: Talk about ways you can support each other at home, in the family and during physical activities!

Pictures in order of appearance:

1. Mather Elementary - Dorchester
2. Newbury Elementary - Newbury
3. RICC - Randolph