Mini Mermaid Running Club with over 6000 girls through our program world wide since 2010 strives to show girls the finish line is just the beginning through thoughtful curriculum and training for a 5k addressing girls needs mind, body and spirit. We teach resiliency by acknowledging where each girls lives, what they have access to and giving opportunity to express what frightens them, what holds them back and how they will move forward in spite of those difficulties. We don’t MASK what is hard rather, we uncover it/them…we unleash a girl’s power to BOUNCE back from the things that may attempt to hold them back. The finish line represents hard work, determination, struggle, optimism, goals set, goals met, opportunity, an unknown path walked on confidently.
Throughout the six week program, the girls will learn that we live in a world of duality, and sometimes our greatest struggle as women and girls is to differentiate between the words, messages both internal and external and images that send negative or defeating messages. Our curriculum tells the story of Mini Mermaid and Siren, Mini Mermaid represents our inherent possibility- she is strong and appears simple while depicting our internal strength and ability to navigate life’s twists and turns. Siren represents the muddled confusing messages we get in the world from media, others and then also the internal confusing messages we tell ourselves that often hold us back. Through teaching the principles within the curriculum that include; learning to hear the quiet strong internal voice that wants the best for us, learning how to claim our own worth and value thereby decreasing our willingness to compromise our heart, mind and body, learning to use our words to build others up rather than hold them back and learning to choose friends wisely so that they will help propel us in life. Our curriculum grows strong, balanced, healthy and resilient girls who make the best choices for themselves and their community.
MMRC enables our girls to discover different ways of movement, not just running but rather all sorts of movement coaches are trained on in hopes of helping girls that otherwise might not think they are an athlete find that moving their body actually makes them feel better, think clearer and feel stronger. By addressing food choices utilizing the on campus food service staff, MMRC shows girls the one place they have power to make a balanced choice. We address the stigma most of our girls endure as they receive free or reduced lunches. Sadly, many of these girls often do not eat at all for fear of being made fun of. MMRC gives girls opportunities in the sessions to identify the things in life that scare them the most or weigh most heavily on their hearts and minds and then give the girls tools on how to work through those fears so that they can identify and work towards their own personal goals. By teaching a principal called Double Standard Technique, the girls learn what it sounds like when they shame themselves into making poor choices in an effort to fit in. More important, MMRC enables young girls to make powerful, purposeful and meaning choices that will move them in the direction they choose.
Overall, we long to see girls who regardless of their circumstances will walk away from our program with a new tool set of language to identify themselves, others and stand up for what they want in the world. With less than 78% of children living in poverty graduating from high school, we know the benefit of that diploma and want to give every girl the chance of achieving it. Helping her to know her worth and value, develop powerful and supportive friendships, to learn resiliency and gain a strong sense of power from making healthy choices we believe will help get her to the finish line.
Through a structured six-week after school curriculum-based program, MMRC teaches girls the tools they need to live a healthier life. Girls increase in healthy self-awareness while also progressing towards the goal of completing a 5K race. Twice a week, female coaches lead the girls through activities focused on key elements of physical and emotional development. With a ratio of 10 participants per coach, girls become known personally and are encouraged to embrace challenges while training to run at their individual ability levels.
By using the story of Mini Mermaid and Siren (our two main characters) we show how messaging from the world, our community, families, friends – even OURSELVES can be confusing. Mini Mermaid represents the truth, such as our value, strength, ability to teach and ability to learn, while Siren represents the lies and fears that often surround us and cloud our minds. Learning how to tell the difference between the two helps us make positive choices for our future and help us advocate for the life we want to lead.
Email: heidi@minimermaidrunningclub.org to start in your area!