Blog

At Girls on the Run, our volunteers are the heart of our program — showing up week after week to help girls discover their strength, confidence, and voice. This February, we’re excited to spotlight Julie Ristow, a dedicated community coach at Milwaukee College Prep, who has been part of the Girls on the Run family for three spring seasons since 2024.

January: National Mentoring Month 

Why Mentoring Matters: 6 Reasons to Become a Mentor

When you were young, did you have a mentor in your life? Someone who constantly reminded you of your value, showed you the ropes and took the time to listen? If you answered yes, you are likely smiling right now and fondly remembering a great lesson your mentor taught you. If not, you are perhaps wondering what that type of impact must have been like. This year, help more girls answer ‘yes’ to this question. We promise that you will reap just as many benefits – including increased overall happiness – in the process. And in case you need 5 other reasons to become a mentor, please check out our list below!

We can't say THANK YOU enough to our Girls on the Run and Heart & Sole coaches who dedicated 10 weeks to their teams, encouraged them when things got tough, and will cheer them on as they cross the finish line in TWO days!! 💜🤩 Meet Kristin from Silver Spring Intermediate who has been coaching with us for 5 years! ⁠

Our coaches are what make this program a success and it wouldn’t be possible without such caring and committed volunteers like them 💜🤩 Meet Beth from Burdick Elementary who has been coaching with us for 5 seasons! Check out what she has to say about coaching and her experience throughout her coaching journey!⁠