Girls on the Run of Berrien County, a United Way program, is accepting site applications from area schools, church or youth groups, and home school groups to host the program in 2013.

GOTR is not a running program; it’s a character development program that teaches life skills in a creative and active way for girls. The program includes healthy and fun workouts and culminates in a 5K Community Celebration in May. Girls on the Run is available for third- to fifth-grade girls and Girls on Track (GOT) is for sixth- to eighth-grade girls.

The 2013 GOTR season will begin the week of March 4. All school principals at facilities serving third- through eighth-graders receive the site application this week. Site applications are due Nov. 1 for the 2013 season. More information on the program is available at the United Way website at www.uwsm.org/girlsontherun. Or call (269) 982-1700 ext. 23 for a site application.

The goals of the GOTR program are to encourage positive emotional, social, mental and physical development. The mission of the program is to “inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experienced-based curriculum which creatively integrates running.”

The GOTR curriculum helps participants examine core values and evaluate what makes them special, identifying their strengths as well as setting personal goals while exploring the importance of being physically and emotionally healthy.

Lessons also include getting along within a group, active listening, managing conflict, and decision-making skills. And, at the end of the program, girls are challenged to explore their responsibility to the community, analyze the cultural messages they’re receiving from the media and recognize the power they have to change the world.