Lace up your sneakers if you’re a third-or fourth-grade girl who loves running, glitter, skipping, jumping rope, or just being silly with friends. Experienced athlete or not, you’re in for a good time.
Girls on the Run has arrived in Highland Park ISD thanks to a dedicated team of volunteers. The program’s young runners will complete a 5K in November, but crossing the finish line is only a small part of their journey.
Along with building healthy mental and physical habits, Girls on the Run aims to teach life skills such as how to manage emotions, form enduring friendships, and make intentional decisions.
Participants also learn how they can make a difference in their community through a girl-directed project at the end of the season. Last year, the third and fourth graders wrote notes of appreciation and thanks to volunteers at the SPCA and staff at University Park Elementary, which hosts the after-school program.
“These things are really important,” said volunteer coach Meredith Boyd. “It took time and effort, and they were meaningful to others. They can make a big difference. They do make a big difference.”
Girls on the Run celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2026 and serves more than 200,000 girls each year.
But this is only the nonprofit’s second year in HPISD. Boyd, a member of Highland Park High School’s class of 1988, volunteered with Girls on the Run before being asked whether she was interested in starting a program in the school district.
Today, she coaches the team along with fellow Highland Park alum Pauline Neuhoff, HP parent Lanier Monk, and community volunteer Andrea Lopez.
You don’t have to be a runner to volunteer or participate. While two of the coaches love to run, the others don’t, Boyd said. The volunteers share a passion for empowering young girls and ensuring that they have a positive experience.
Some of the 23 third-and fourth-grade HP runners knew they enjoyed the sport when they joined, while running has been a new experience for others. The program celebrates the strengths of each child and encourages individual girls to run at their “happy pace.”
“We’re working the whole season to complete a 5K, but each practice incorporates games and movement, with life lessons woven in,” Boyd explained. “They’re learning while they’re having fun.”
Fourth-grader Lily Fuquay described herself as “not a big sports person.” But she’s enjoying Girls on the Run and thinks she can complete the 5K.
“My mom made me do an athletic activity, and so now I ended up doing this,” she said. “And I really like it.”
Fourth-grader Teresa Roglan knew when she joined Girls on the Run that she loved running. She’s enjoyed moving at her “happy pace.”
“Your happy pace can be skipping or walking, or just jogging or running,” Roglan explained, adding that she was confident in her ability to complete the 5K. “I’ve got this,” she said.
The Girls on the Run curriculum extends through eighth grade, and Boyd hopes to find volunteer coaches who will bring the program to McCulloch Intermediate School and Highland Park Middle School.
“I love that each girl is taught that she is valued, she is strong, and she’s capable of achieving anything she puts her mind to,” Boyd said. “That is such a powerful lesson.”
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