Local Girls on the Run councils to merge
Novant Health sponsors organization that teaches life skills to young girls
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Girls on the Run (GOTR) Forsyth and GOTR Triad
have announced the two councils will merge beginning
with the fall 2015 season. The GOTR Triad council and
the GOTR Forsyth council will become one unified coun
cil, Girls on the Run Triad. The combined council, with a
sponsorship from Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center,
will serve Davidson, Forsyth, Guilford, Randolph and
Rockingham counties.
GOTR is a transformational, physical activity-based,
positive youth development program for girls in third to
eighth grades. The program is designed to develop and
enhance girls' competencies to successfully navigate life
experiences. GOTR's mission is to inspire girls to be joy
ful, healthy, and confident using an experience-based cur
riculum that creatively incorporates running. Girls learn to
stretch themselves physically, mentally, socially and emo
tionally. During the process girls are inspired to a lifetime
of self-respect and healthy living!
Established in 2002, GOTR Forsyth has been an affil
iate council of Girls on the Run International and is oper
ated by Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center. NHFMC
will continue to serve the girls of Forsyth County as a
sponsor for GOTR Triad.
GOTR in Davie County has been instrumental in
opening the door for new programs like KidSmart, a fun,
interactive program that teaches children the importance
of making healthy lifestyle choices and empowers them to
be proactive about their health. In the past two years,
Novant Health has piloted and expanded KidSmart in sev
eral schools in Davie County and is looking forward to
further expanding the program.
Meeting twice a week in groups of eight to 20 girls,
GOTR teaches life skills through fun, interactive lessons
and running games. The 24-lesson curriculum is taught by
certified GOTR coaches and has three parts: understand
ing ourselves, valuing relationships and teamwork, and
understanding how we connect with and shape the world
at large. The program culminates with the girls being
physically and emotionally prepared to complete a cele
bratory 5K running event.
Girls on the Run International was founded in 19% by
Molly Barker in Charlotte, North Carolina, and now
serves more than 60,000 girls each year. Girls on the Run
Triad is one of 240+ Girls on the Run councils nationwide
that use running to teach the lessons about life skills,
including how to make healthy decisions and resolve con
flicts.
For more information on GOTR Triad or to set up a
new GOTR site, contact Executive Director Tracy Miles
at tracy.miles@girlsontherun.org or visit GOTR Triad at
www.gotrtriad.org.
Novant Health is a four-state integratednetwork of
physician clinics, outpatient centers and hospitals that
delivers a seamless and convenient healthcare experience
to our communities. Novant Health consists of more than
1,200 physicians and 25,000 employees who make health
care remarkable at nearly 500 locations, including 14
medical centers and hundreds of outpatient facilities and
physician clinics. Headquartered in Winston-Salem, N.C.,
Novant Health is committed to making healthcare remark
able for patients and communities, serving more than four
million patients annually. In 2014, Novant Health provid
ed more than $639 million in community benefit including
charity care and services. Novant Health is ranked as one
of the nation's top 20 integrated delivery networks by IMS
Health.
For more information about the wellness programs
and KidSmart, contact Tamara Smith at
tsmith2@novanthealth.org or visit Novant Health at
http://www.novanthealth.org. You can also follow Novant
Health on Twitter and Face book.
GirlSon
therun
Members of Omega
Psi Phi Fraternity
host 10th annual
Family Fun Day
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Family Fun Day began in July of 2006. Initially, the event was
for members and their families, however, it has developed into an
event that encourages the concept of community.
This annual event is the brainchild of Bro. Marlon Davis, who
saw a need to help unite members of his fraternity, Omega Psi Phi
Inc. who were not active in the organization. This provided an
opportunity for the brothers to come together to fellowship.
Family Fun Day promotes a family reunion style atmosphere
that includes music, raffles, games, arts and crafts and activities
for children. In addition, an array of food options are provided for
the participants who attend the event. This event continues to grow
yearly.
Brother James Brandon (left) and Family Fun Day
Founder Brother Marlon Davis
Submitted Photo
Participants enjoy Family Fun Day.
Brother Charlie Bethea and Mrs. Bethea enjoy the festivities.
Keep W-S Beautiful and Forsyth
County Cooperative Extension
partnering on school initiative
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE 1
Keep Winston-Salem Beautiful (KWSB) plans to partner with Forsyth
County Cooperative Extension volunteers to work with schools in Winston
Salem that have been historically under-represented in KWSB programs and
activities.
The partner schools will be announced at the start of the 2015-16 academic
year in August. The initiative will connect each school and the surrounding
neighborhoods to a Forsyth County Cooperative Extension volunteer to assist
with initial efforts, said Robert Leak HI, the president of Keep Winston-Salem
Beautiful.
"My hope is that the selected schools will begin to participate in KWSB's
annual beautification projects," Leak said, "and that the beauty will spill into
distressed areas of the city, possibly sparking other community projects."
Shanika Gray, a Forsyth County Cooperative Extension and 4-H agent,
said, "Forsyth County Cooperative Extension and 4-H are excited to support
the KWSB initiative that will improve the landscape of our city and school
grounds. This is an opportunity to educate more youth and communities about
the importance of being good stewards of the Earth, with the guidance of our
Master Gardener volunteers."
Leak, who was recently elected as the first African-American president of
the KWSB board, hopes to use his position to increase community involvement
as well as citizen participation in schools and neighborhoods that have been
under-represented in such KWSB activities as Clean and Green, Adopt-A
Street and Adopt-A-Stream programs.
Keep Winston-Salem Beautiful, an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful,
is a nonprofit, volunteer organization whose mission is to enhance the appear
ance of the city through cleanup events, beautification projects, educational
activities, including the Big Sweep waterway cleanup. Community Roots Day
and the Great American Cleanup.
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WSSU director of health
and safety presents at seminar
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Aaron Lettwich, Winston
Salem State University's director of
environmental health & safety
(EHS), presented recently at a
national conference for campus
safety, health and environmental
practitioners.
Leftwich's presentation "How
and Why to Implement Interns and
Student Workers in EHS
Departments," was part of a profes
sional development seminar at the
62nd annual Campus Safety,
Heaitn, ana environmental Management
Association (CSHEMA) Conference in
Washington, DC in July.
The session, titled "Safety at Small
Colleges and Univei'sities," was presented by a
consortium ot tHS directors at col
leges and universities with similar
staffing complements. The seminar
focused on strategies EHS Directors
can employ to meet the vast needs of
their respective schools.
Leftwich, who joined WSSU in
2012, is a member of CSHEMA's
Small Colleges and Universities
Community of Practice and currently
serves as the UNC System represen
tative for Small Colleges and
Universities on the North Carolina
siaie aaieiy ana neann aieenng committee.
Ltftwich
Pearson Appointed Chair of CAEP Standards Committee
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Dr. Denise Pearson, senior
associate dean and professor of
education at Winston-Salem State
University has been appointed to a
three-year term and will chair the
highly selective Council for the
Accreditation of Educator
Preparation (CAEP) Standards
Committe^.
The mission of CAEP is to
advance excellence in educator
preparation through evidence
based accreditation that assures
quality and supports continuous
improvement to strengthen P-12
student learning. More than 1,000
educator preparation providers par
ticipate in the CAEP accreditation
system.
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