As the coach’s whistle rings through the air at practice, a line of elementary school girls run across the blacktop. With their light-up sneakers flashing different colors, they race toward the finish line with cheers of encouragement filling the air. Waiting for them at the end and ready to shower them with praise and high-fives is senior Ella Raker, who decided to use her capstone project to create a place where young girls can build confidence, friendships, and a love for running through the Girls on the Run (GOTR) program.
Having initiated a GOTR program in the fall that wound up being unsuccessful, Raker knew instantly how she would fill her capstone requirement. Determined to leave a lasting impact on her community before graduation, Raker launched this chapter at Abbot Elementary in Westford and Center Elementary in Chelmsford in hopes that she would not only train dozens of girls to run a 5K, but also would help them gain self-esteem in the process.
“[The process of creating the program] was actually pretty easy because in the fall, I wanted to start a [GOTR chapter] at Abbot Elementary,” Raker said. “So, I was already in contact with all the people running the organization in Boston, and I just kind of emailed them to see if they would want to do it in the spring. Luckily, one of the teachers [at Abbot] wanted to do it [then] too.”
Founded in North Carolina in 1996, GOTR is a nationwide non-profit that aims to build confidence and promote physical activity for girls ages eight to 14 years old. This is executed by their curriculum of combining running with lesson plans that teach the girls how to use positive self-talk, set intentional goals, and encourage their peers.
Raker first became intrigued by the program when she began running with her younger cousin. After she consistently accompanied Raker whenever she would run in the summer, Raker looked into different programs that may benefit girls like her cousin who are interested in running.
“My younger cousin goes to Abbot, and whenever I would run in the summer, she would ask to come along,” Raker said. “So when I heard about [GOTR], I wanted to be able to bring the program over to her school since I knew it would be something she would like.”
While initiating this program for her capstone, Raker was able to count on the support of over 200 seasoned coaches who are a part of the GOTR Greater Boston chapter. To keep things running smoothly at the schools she specifically coaches at, she relies on the assistance of Director of Coach Engagement and Training Caitlin Barrett and fourth-grade teacher Sandra Femino. While Barrett supervises the site’s processes and functions, Femino is able to guide Raker by coaching alongside her.
“[Raker] has been a great part of the program,” Femino said. “It’s been great to have her help.”
Raker leads GOTR practice at Abbot two times a week on Mondays and Thursdays for about an hour and a half on each respective day. Additionally, she works with Center Elementary on Wednesdays for the same amount of time.
In preparation for each practice, Raker reads over the lesson plan available to her from the GOTR website to plan how the practice will be structured. This includes introducing the day’s theme in relation to building confidence and empathy, superwoman squats and star jumps as a warm-up exercise, running as a group, and a debrief afterward to share how each felt and say positive affirmations. Once the GOTR participants leave, the coaches have a meeting to go over what went well and what they could improve on for next practice.
Since the GOTR program has just started at Abbot this spring, they are still adapting to how the program works and navigating the hiccups that may occur. At Center Elementary, the program has been running for much longer, so Raker is able to apply what she learns from her time there to her practices at Abbot.
“There’s no adult coach who’s done it for years [at Abbot], and since this is my first year coaching and I’m so new at it, it’s been really helpful to work with the [Center team],” Raker said. “I’ve just been getting endless support from everyone involved, and it’s been a great experience.”
Raker has been able to manage her school responsibilities with those of GOTR due to the flexibility of her capstone work. Before Raker’s GOTR program could launch in the spring, she had to complete ten hours of online training. Fortunately for her, these hours counted toward the required amount that she had to complete for her capstone.
“I’m just grateful for how flexible the program is,” Raker said. “Since it’s an after-school program, I can spend the school day focusing on my schoolwork and answering [GOTR] emails on the side, and spend some time after school focusing on the program itself.”
To mark the end of the program, GOTR participants will partake in a non-competitive 5K run on Saturday, May 30, in Boston. According to Raker, not only is this something that she is looking forward to, but it is a tangible example of the community, strength, and confidence the girls fostered through this program. During this run, a group of volunteers called soulmates will also raise money for girls who cannot pay the expense of joining the program.
“For the 5K, some [GOTR] coaches and volunteers run a marathon to raise $15,000 for girls who can’t pay the initiation fee so that they can join the program for free,” Raker said. “I definitely want to do it one day since the [GOTR] program is so meaningful and everyone should get the chance to be a part of it.”
On top of getting helpful leadership experience for all of her future pursuits, Raker has also been a part of an unforgettable experience that she will carry with her.
“The [GOTR teammates] are so supportive of each other and cheer each other up whenever they’re down on themselves,” Raker said. “It’s so sweet and is such an amazing thing to see such amazing friendships form.”
Looking ahead to the future, Raker will be attending Colgate University and studying Biology on the Pre-Med Track. Although a major change, Raker hopes to hold on to her love of all things running and girls’ empowerment throughout this journey.
“Even though I’m going to college soon, I hope to still be involved in [GOTR] in some way,” Raker said. “This experience has been meaningful and I hope to [continue making] an impact.”
