The 2024 Perry Browne Girls on the Run team along with their coaches, The Place Teen Program Coordinator Julie Dealing, Perry Browne Music Teacher Karen Snitchler, and The Place Board Member Lois LoPresti, and Chenango SPCA Executive Director Patrick McLaughlin. (Photo by Sarah Genter)

NORWICH — The Girls on the Run team at Perry Brown Intermediate School have spent the past ten weeks preparing for a 5K, learning about community, character building, teamwork, and self esteem, while also working on a community impact project to benefit the Chenango SPCA.

Girls on the Run is a "physical, activity-based, positive youth development program that inspires third through eighth grade girls to be joyful, healthy, and confident using a fun experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running."


This year's season was coached by The Place Teen Program Coordinator Julie Dealing, Perry Browne Music Teacher Karen Snitchler, and The Place Board Member Lois LoPresti.

Snitchler said they met twice a week for ten weeks, where the girls prepared for the upcoming 5K by running, walking, skipping, and cartwheeling around the Perry Browne campus. They also worked on journals that taught them social-emotional skills and helped to bolster self-esteem.

"We did friendship. We did small acts of kindness. We’re superstars, and that’s the whole kind of thing, so we talk about our inner star shining," said Snitchler. "We did positive talk, self talk, negative self talk, making sure they understand the difference and how we try to change that."

The girls also learned about what community means, explored options for a community impact project, and brainstormed what they could do to support their chosen organization.