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New Study Touts Effectiveness of Girls on the Run

Tom Flanigan

A life skills program for elementary school girls is extremely effective, according to a new independent study.

That program, called “Girls on the Run”,has served more than 800 Leon County girls since it began in 2014. Big Bend Girls on the Run Executive Director Ericka McKibbon said the study was done by celebrated youth development expert Dr. Maureen Weiss.

“Eighty-five percent of girls involved in our program improved in confidence, competence, caring and character as well as connecting,” she noted.

The program is now in 14 area locations, but McKibbon sees the study results as an opportunity for growth.

“It’s definitely a great foundation to start this conversation with new schools, whether it be charter, public, private or community center.”

Girls on the Run is a national life skills curriculum designed for girls in 3rd through 5th grade.

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Tom Flanigan has been with WFSU News since 2006, focusing on covering local personalities, issues, and organizations. He began his broadcast career more than 30 years before that and covered news for several radio stations in Florida, Texas, and his home state of Maryland.

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