Local girls in grades 3 through 5 are invited to participate in Girls on the Run of the High Country, a successful self-esteem building program for pre-adolescents. Registration is now being accepted for spring classes, which begin on Monday, February 15.  The program's curriculum and activities will address girls' physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual well-being. Local organizers said they believe the program is important in order for girls to resist peer pressure as they enter middle school and high school.

Each local group is open to 12 students, who will be enthusiastically coached by trained adult volunteers. The groups will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:00 to 5:15 and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00 to 5:15 at the Appalachian Regional Healthcare System's Wellness Center in Boone. The 2010 spring session will operate from February 15 through May 14, and the girls and their running buddies will participate in a 5K run/walk/skip/hop/crawl at the end of the session. To register or for more information, contact Mary at ASU's Institute for Health and Human Services at 252-7557. Learn more about Girls on the Run International by clicking to girlsontherun.org.