Folks from South Peninsula Haven House were on The Coffee Table yesterday morning, talking mostly about how services have adapted during the Covid Pandemic. One of the projects they spoke about was for elementary school girls, called “Girls on the Run,” which for a second year will be held outdoors. Marcee Gray explains.
“We aren't running, we're skipping, hopping, jumping jacks, walking, talking. We're conditioning in a very flexible, fun way, but there will be jumping jacks and a little bit of conditioning and stuff on the way to Karen Hornaday Park, and then our activities will go on there and then parents will pick up at 4:30, at Karen Hornaday Park,” Gray said.
Gray says the program is for kids just before middle school.
“Third to fifth graders are the girls that we target for this program. It's a lovely phase of development, full of openness and intrigue and curiosity and energy and enthusiasm. So we get out there and we do some self, self-confidence games and activities empowerment and we connect girls with each other and learn how to be community members and friends.In between, we do some conditioning and before we know it, our goal of running and completing a 5k happens. And it happens almost invisibly, without us even knowing, because we're out there having a blast together,” Gray said.
Gray said she’d like to see a similar program for boys of that age.
“It's also important for young men and boys to learn these skills at an early age as well. And what we're really trying to do is come up with a boys run program, to be able to get the funding to be able to offer that as well, because I think it's important for both these groups to get times separate and learn some skills, and then be able to come together and blend together because they've got those basic skills and have learned them in their own specific ways, so to speak, so yeah, I think helping them in a younger age has been really beneficial and, and I think it's not just for girls. I think it's something that could apply for boys as well,” Gray said.
Gray spoke about the growth in programs for girls, largely spurred by legislation from the 1970s called Title IX that guaranteed equal money for athletics and activities in schools. It was championed by then-Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens.
“I would begin with Title Nine. I really believe it was a significant piece of it. And, and we have, we have focused on supporting girls at young ages, younger ages so that they know that confidence and, and their body image and their, how they feel about themselves and being empowered and helped, is made a big difference and, and let gals get out younger and, and seek confidence opportunities and get more sure themselves and come on up through and I think that seeing these professional sports teams, these women that are you know competing and getting a chance to compete at that level, is an amazing change that we've seen in since I've grown up for sure,” Gray said.
The Haven House program will begin on March 21, and will meet at West Homer Elementary on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3 p.m. You can find out more information about signing up at the South Peninsula Haven House website.
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