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“”Four years ago, Regan Mueller came to Northside Elementary/Coulee Montessori and asked teacher Jasmine Valentine if they could start a student program. REAL Girls – Raising and Empowering Authentic Leaders – may look like just an after school running club, but it is so much more than that.

“The purpose of REAL Girls is to invest in the lives of fourth and fifth-grade girls through mentorship, education, and running encouraging them to be their best and calling out the leader in each of them,” said parent and REAL Girls coach Regan Mueller. “REAL Girls focuses on character building, relationship building, goal setting, taking positive risks, and introduces the girls to real-life opportunities that they may not experience through a regular school day.”

Their mission is accomplished through a staff of coaches and volunteers spending time with each of the nearly 50 girls who join the group each year. Community speakers and mentors include female leaders in a variety of industries and a myriad of trainers who each week introduce the girls to different fitness activities like Zumba, Pilates, yoga, and more.

The club meets twice a week for ten weeks. The girls run every time they’re together, building on distance, speed, and endurance. All of the training leads to a 5k race they run at the end of each season. But running is only a small piece of the puzzle.

“Another very important part of what we do each season is our community service project,” said Coulee Montessori teacher Sara Jorgenson. ”Year one, the girls spent time helping at the Hunger Task Force stocking shelves and learning how an organization supports so many people who need help in our community. Year two took our service project global, partnering with Days for Girls in Uganda to increase access to menstrual care and education.”

“Our last two years brought our projects back home by packing and supplying backpacks of items for children being moved into the Foster and Respite Care program of The Family and Children’s Center in La Crosse,” continued Jorgenson. “The service projects touch the lives of our girls by offering them a chance to give back and support others but also because some of them have had to utilize these services before.”

“Our program gives these girls a voice, an opportunity to see the potential in themselves,” said teacher Jasmine Valentine. “It impacts their lives by making them leaders and change makers but also gives them the strength to go out into the world and make it better for everyone.”

The club is funded through private donations allowing the girls to join the club at no cost.

“I love this club because it’s really inspirational,” said student Alysha Hayes. “I take things we talk about home with me. Things about life, and sisterhood, and just being there for each other. The whole thing is awesome.”””””[vc_gallery type=”flexslider_slide” interval=”0″ images=”15905,15900,15904,15899,15897,15898,15901,15903,15902″ img_size=”625×352″]””