With the introduction of the new Hello, Bold Heart! curriculum, Girls on the Run remains dedicated to supporting the needs of girls everywhere and equipping them with the confidence, healthy habits, and life skills they need to reach their goals and thrive in today’s world.
The latest addition to our new, three-part curriculum suite is officially here and ready to empower girls from coast to coast. Meet Hello, Bold Heart!
In early 2024, we launched Hello, Superstar!, which shows girls how to unlock the confidence to be themselves and inspire those around them to do the same. A few months later, we released Hello, Mountain Mover!, which inspires girls to be confident when facing challenges and persevere even when it gets tough. Like its two suitemates, Hello, Bold Heart! follows a fun, empowering theme that helps girls build a specific, meaningful form of confidence.
Its centerpiece? Teaching girls how to share their thoughts, ideas, and feelings and help others speak up, too!
Hello, Bold Heart! continues to be led by trained caring coaches and reinforces key GOTR skills and program takeaways, such as fostering healthy habits, embracing the joy of movement, coming together as a team, setting and achieving goals, and so much more (see bullet #5!) In addition, the Community Impact Project and 5K Celebration—two core culminating parts of every season—remain cornerstones of our bolder-than-ever after-school program.
This research-based curriculum was designed in direct response to what coaches, caregivers, and participants told us was needed—more space and support to help girls share. Ready to learn more about the end product of this awesome team effort? Check out these five reasons why we can’t wait for teams throughout North America to experience Hello, Bold Heart! and use their voices like never before!
The Bold Heart Theme
You might be wondering, “What does it mean to be a Bold Heart?” We’re happy to employ our voices and explain! In this curriculum, ‘heart’ refers to girls’ thoughts, feelings, ideas, perspectives, or opinions. Girls learn that sharing their ‘hearts’ is about using their voices, whether it’s to propose an idea, stick up for a friend, or answer a question in class. As most people can agree, sharing our thoughts can feel vulnerable, and it takes courage and boldness to participate in some conversations. Being a Bold Heart is about girls having the confidence to “open the door to their hearts” and share what is inside, even when they feel nervous or uncertain.
Like Hello, Superstar!’s Star Power (the power to be yourself and shine in your own way) and Hello, Mountain Mover!’s I Can! Power (the power to do hard things and keep going), Hello, Bold Heart! shows girls they have another special power inside of them, Heart Power—the power to boldly share what’s in your heart and help others do the same! Girls strengthen this power as they develop new skills and form new connections throughout the season. In addition, coaches empower their Bold Heart team by creating opportunities (such as leading stretches and choosing conversation icebreakers) for girls to practice and grow their Heart Power.
Looking Inside to Know What’s in Your Heart
Dated societal norms have often influenced girls to be quiet and agreeable and not take up too much space. Research shows boys are more likely to raise their hands and speak up, while girls may hesitate even when they have something meaningful to add. As peer pressure and fear of judgment grow, so does this silence—and the need for Heart Power! When girls’ Heart Power is activated, they become bold communicators who know their voice matters. Hello, Bold Heart! equips girls to boldly share by teaching them to first pause, reflect, and figure out what they genuinely think and feel.
In fact, we have a name for this action: ‘Taking a Heart Moment.’ Learning the importance of taking a heart moment helps girls slow down and think of their words before sharing, trust their voices, and make choices that feel true to who they are. Our memorable, sparkly Heart Bottle activity makes this concept visual and easy to comprehend for girls.
The Heart Bottle (a clear bottle filled with glitter) is a simple yet powerful tool that helps girls check in with themselves. Given the impact and fun-factor of this activity, we provide girls with instructions on how to create one at home! (Above)
Speaking Up and Bold Sharing
For many girls, sharing what they think—at school, practice, or home—can be scary or uncomfortable. Even as adults, overcoming the fear of speaking up is often challenging and requires great preparation, positive self-talk, and deep breaths. Feeling nervous about speaking up is a common, natural response to putting ourselves out there. The lessons in Hello, Bold Heart! help girls gain the skills and strength to take healthy risks, boldly share, and inspire similar confidence in others. In addition to encouraging boldness during moments of doubt, Hello, Bold Heart! teaches assertive communication and explains that speaking assertively is a positive thing—not bossy. By helping girls unpack the difference between passive, aggressive, and assertive communication, girls and coaches learn to speak up in a clear, kind and confident way.
The ‘Be Assertive, Be a Tree’ activity in Hello, Bold Heart! shows participants how there are different ways (like a storm, feather, or tree) to share what’s in their hearts. After a series of conversations and movements, coaches explain why it’s important for Bold Hearts to be trees—kind (providing shade and shelter) but firm (strong, with study roots). Unlike the aggressiveness of the storm, and the passivity of the feather, the tree shares out in an assertive way.
Listening Deeply and Inspiring Others to Share
Just like sharing your voice takes confidence, so does staying present and truly hearing someone else. Around the halfway point of the season, teams shift from learning how to share their ideas to helping others share what’s inside their hearts. Coaches introduce this concept to girls by teaching them how to focus their whole body and attention when others share. Through activities and practice, girls discover just how much this action helps others feel valid, visible, and more comfortable opening up. They also discover that while everyone deserves a chance to be seen and heard, sometimes not everyone feels ready to speak up. When children learn to notice the quiet voices and gently invite others to share, they learn to lead with empathy and care.
Creating space for others to open their hearts builds connection, trust, and a community where every voice matters. The combination of these teammate-empowering lessons fosters stronger bonds among participants while deepening each girl’s individual sense of compassion. For caregivers, this means their girls are gaining the emotional intelligence and communication skills they need to be caring, bold listeners in any setting or environment.
Familiar Lessons Back and Bolder Than Ever
Folks familiar with the highlights of GOTR need not worry about fan favorites going by the wayside—they are here to stay! In Hello, Bold Heart! the topics that have long been pillars of Girls on the Run programming—belonging, happy pace, teamwork, empathy, self-talk, navigating emotions—are returning with renewed energy and purpose. These essential topics remain in our curriculum as they continue to speak directly about the challenges girls face today, from social pressures to self-doubt. By revisiting and reinforcing these tried-and-true tools, we are ensuring that participants everywhere have experiences that empower their minds, bodies, and connections to community. Our refreshed lessons reflect our ongoing commitment to growth while staying grounded in what works!
“With Hello, Bold Heart! Girls on the Run is giving girls the tools to not only find their voice, but to use it with courage, compassion, and confidence,” said Katarina Corda, Vice President of Programming, Girls on the Run International. “In a world that often tells girls to stay quiet or fit in, this curriculum boldly tells them they belong just as they are and that their voices have value. We’re incredibly proud to launch updated lessons that inspire a love of movement, build lifelong skills, and create space for authentic connection, bold listening, and brave individual expression. We believe every girl deserves to know her thoughts and feelings matter, and through Hello, Bold Heart! we’re helping her believe it too!”
Is your Bold Heart pumping with excitement? Join our movement!
Find a GOTR team near you to get involved or see if they will be offering Hello, Bold Heart! this fall!
Need a refresher on the first two releases and what makes them so impactful, unique, and necessary for young girls? Revisit these blogs!
