The spring 2017 Laurel Elementary GOTR team beautified the school this season for their community service project. The previous spring team planted the seed and had brainstormed the idea. I worked on allowing their idea to bloom the following year, persistence paid off and a team of artists from the local Muramid Museum in downtown Oceanside helped our girls paint a mural on the handball wall near our school track. The team brainstormed with the artist—they girls gave her information about what it means to be a GOTR and filled her mind with ideas from the GOTR toolbox. Words were floating around the circle they were sitting in…..gratitude, friendship, respect, health, love, exercise, mantras, laughter…..and SO much more! The artist left feeling overwhelmed by GOTR and what it stands for, she was also very impressed by the enthusiasm and kindness of our team. The artist took that experience and sketched a mural, the girls loved it and painting began the next week. The work took a team of four artists and both our spring 2016 and 2017 teams two weeks (during the school day and practices) to complete. It was an amazing experience for the girls, they have left a beautiful mark on the school. They have inspired many other girls throughout the school to love running and the mural is a continuous reminder to “learn. dream. live. run.”
Girls on the Run International and Say It Forward are committed to the empowerment of girls everywhere. We believe that every girl has an important story to share – a story of determination and perseverance, a story that can inspire others to overcome the self-limiting beliefs that keep them from reaching their fullest potential. We are also committed to empowering the women who invest their time and energy in these girls.
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