Whiz Kids: Girls on the Run

Schools: North Chevy Chase, Chevy Chase, Rock Creek Forest, and Somerset elementary schools

Accomplishment: Girls on the Run is an afterschool organization that prepares girls in grades 3-5 to run a 5k at the end of the program, and prepares them to handle different issues facing pre-teen girls.

The Montgomery County chapter of Girls on the Run includes several teams at Chevy Chase schools. The students meet twice a week to train for the 5k, and talk about a new theme each week.

Key to awesomeness: “The program is very focused on self-esteem,” said parent and coach Kim Callinan, who works with an NCC group of around 30 girls.

The program runs about 10 weeks in the fall and spring; the spring curriculum kicked off in early March. The girls will round off what they’ve learned with a 5k in May.

Callinan said the first part of the curriculum emphasizes personal goals, taking care of oneself; the second, teamwork and the importance of avoiding peer pressure and bullying; and the third, the girls’ role in the community.

“It’s great that the girls get moving,” Callinan said. “It’s also about working towards a whole — letting them see the benefits of being healthy.”