Heart & Sole

Heart & Sole is designed for the unique needs of girls in 6-8th grade. A key aspect of adolescence is the need to test boundaries and try out new leadership roles. The foundation of Heart & Sole is the commitment to the “whole girl” and the development of a positive sense of self and identity for each girl. This goal is met through the “Girl Wheel” – which addresses body, brain, heart, spirit, and social connection.

Spring 2025 participant registration will open online in February 2025. Teams will begin meeting the week of March 17, 2025. Our program is only possible with the support of volunteer coaches! Click below to learn more about volunteering this spring.  

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Heart & Sole Logo
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Two Girls on the Run participants smile at the camera while running at an outdoor practice in yellow shirts

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Current Season Details

Thank you for your interest in Heart & Sole programming. 

Overview-Shared

Overview
Girl Celebrating at 5K
  • Follow GOTRVT on Facebook and Instagram for registration announcements
  • Our Spring 2025 season will begin the week of March 17, 2025
  • Teams meet twice weekly for 90 minutes throughout our 10 week season for a total of 20 lessons. Teams typically meet after school but times vary by site. Participants cannot register to attend one weekly session. 
  • Sessions wrap up in late May/early June with participants completing GOTRVT's Essex 5K Celebration (Saturday, May 31, 2025) or Manchester 5K Celebration (Saturday, June 7, 2025)
  • We welcome children who identify as girls, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming.
  • Complete our Participant Interest Form if your kiddo wants to participate this spring!
Girl Celebrating at 5K

Fin-Aid - Shared

Financial Assistance

At GOTR Vermont, we are committed to being accessible to any participant who wishes to enroll, regardless of her family's financial situation. Our registration fee is $130. It costs 2.5 times that amount to deliver the program for each participant. Through our dedicated fundraising efforts, we are able to both subsidize every participant's program fee and offer financial assistance to those with need. Our resources are limited, however, so a family that is able to pay $130 is asked to pay the full amount.  

GOTRVT offers financial assistance for families with an annual household income of less than $60,001 via a sliding scale. If you are unable to pay the full program fee of $130, please use the sliding scale (see below) to determine your fee. We ask that all families pay a minimum fee of $25 per participant. 

Registrants can activate financial assistance directly within the registration form. We depend on our GOTR families to abide by our organization’s core values, including honesty and integrity, when requesting financial assistance.

Payment Plan

GOTRVT also offers a payment plan to all online registrants regardless of their registration fee. When using a payment plan, 50% of the total is collected at time of registration and the remaining balance is processed in early May.

Sibling Discount

Sibling discounts are available for families who register two or more participants at the full registration fee of $130 each. The discount is available directly on the registration form and provides $30 off the registration fee after the first registrant. The sibling discount and financial assistance cannot be combined. The discount which provides the greater price reduction will be applied. 

Local Funding

Your site's program fee may be less than $130 if your local coaches have raised or secured funding for the team. Financial assistance is still available, if needed, for teams presenting programming at a lowered fee. 

Wednesday, February 19

  • Wednesday, February 19

    Participant registration opens for teams attending GOTRVT's Essex 5K Celebration

  • Wednesday, February 26

    Participant registration opens for teams attending GOTRVT's Manchester 5K Celebration

  • Week of March 10

    Participating families receive a welcome letter from their coach team

  • Week of March 17

    Teams begin meeting statewide

  • Monday, March 24

    Registration period ends

  • Saturday, May 31, 2025

    Essex 5K Celebration at the Champlain Valley Expo, Essex Jct, VT

  • Saturday, June 7, 2025

    Manchester 5K Celebration at the Dana L Thompson Memorial Park, Manchester, VT

Reg fees - SHARED

Registration Fees

Building confidence and setting young girls down the path of a healthy lifestyle is priceless! However, there are real costs associated with operating a non-profit organization and delivering the Girls on the Run program to 1,700+ students in Vermont each year. Registration is $130 per participant and includes:

  • 20 ninety-minute sessions conducted by GOTRVT coaches
  • Curriculum and lesson materials
  • GOTR or Heart & Sole journal
  • GOTR or Heart & Sole t-shirt
  • GOTR or Heart & Sole cinch sack
  • GOTR or Heart & Sole reusable water bottle
  • Practice 5K experience and season completion certificate
  • Culminating 5K Celebration and finisher's medal
  • Background checks and training for all coaches
  • Insurance and liability
Financial Assistance: Registration Fees
Annual Household Income Registration Fee
$30,000 or less $25
$30,001 - $40,000 $50
$40,001 - $50,000 $80
$50,001 - $60,000 $100
$60,001 and higher $130
Participant Health & Safety

GOTRVT will comply with all host school or site policies and policies are subject to change should circumstances require it. Teams will be outdoors as much as possible with specific policies varying by site. Your participant should arrive prepared with weather-appropriate layers. Access to indoor facilities may be limited based on the host school or site's policies.

Participants are expected to stay home when experiencing any symptoms of illness.

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My child isn't a big runner; is this program for them? OR My child is already a skilled runner. Is this program for them?

Yes! We are much more than a running program, and every participant can benefit from the experience of building confidence through accomplishment while participating in our rich, curriculum-based, age-appropriate, interactive lessons. Expect lots of games, talking, laughing and processing in addition to movement activities at each practice. And know that when we say run, we mean run, walk, skip or roll, just as long as you are moving foward!

What does the program fee include?

Though our true cost per particpant is close to $350, we're able to subsidize the registration fee with the support of generous donors. We offer our 10-week, 20-lesson program for $130. Your program registration fee includes all lesson materials (including GOTR curriculum, a journal, lap counters and more!), a GOTR or Heart & Sole t-shirt, reusable water bottle and cinch sack, a season completion certificate, the culminating 5K Celebration experience, a 5K finisher's medal, and liability insurance.

We can't afford the program registration fee, but our child would love to participate. Do you offer financial assistance?

We'd love to have your child involved and are committed to making Girls on the Run Vermont accessible to all families. Thanks to generous donors and community supporters, financial assistance is available directly on the online registration form. For families with an annual household income less than $60,001, you can use our sliding scale to adjust your registration fee. GOTRVT also offers a payment plan to all registrants regardless of their registration fee. 

We do ask that families who are able to pay the full $130 program fee do so as we are a non-profit organization with limited financial resources.

When does the 10 week season begin?

Sessions will begin the week of March 17, 2025. Specific days and times vary by site based on coach and space availability. The culminating Essex 5K Celebration will be held on Saturday, May 31, 2025 and the Manchester 5K Celebration will be held on Saturday, June 7, 2025. 

Do participants need to attend both days each week in order to register?

Yes! Since most of our teams fill up quickly, if your participant will be unable to attend all of the sessions then please save room for a participant who can. We invite you to consider joining us in a future season when your participant can enjoy the entire program.

Is there a way for me to sponsor a participant for a season?

Yes! As a mission-driven 501(c)3, Girls on the Run Vermont relies on generous donors in order to provide financial assistance for families in need. Click here to sponsor a participant this season.

What is the Heart & Sole program?

Heart & Sole is the middle school program offered through Girls on the Run, designed for the unique needs of girls in 6-8th grade. Heart & Sole is structured “just enough” so that girls feel safe and secure to explore, take chances and share, and also open enough that participants can drive the direction of the content. A key aspect of adolescence is the need to test boundaries and try out new leadership roles. The foundation of Heart & Sole is the commitment to the “whole girl” and the development of a positive sense of self and identity for each girl. This goal is met through the “Girl Wheel” – which addresses body, brain, heart, spirit, and social connection.

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