Locust Street Expressive Arts Elementary School Secretary Erica Chapin and Librarian Kristen Burkemper coached their first Girls on the Run season together at their school. Girls on the Run is a national organization that teaches third through fifth graders the power of physical activity, as well as life lessons centered around friendship, confidence and team-building.
Girls on the Run Heart of Missouri serves over 200 girls and has over 50 volunteer coaches each season. Over the course of 10 weeks Chapin and Burkemper taught their 11 girls invaluable lessons on topics such as gossip, beauty and positive self-talk with the help of MU students Tiffany Pode and Allison White as assistant coaches. Not only do the girls become part of a team and make friends across grade-levels and ages, but the coaches develop a special relationship with the girls.

“You kind of break down those barriers between teacher and student and get to know them on a personal level and become a friend,” Burkemper said.

At the end of their season, GOTR teams from elementary schools across Columbia completed a 5K on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022, at Albert Oakland Park.