Finding Our Stride

Finding Our Stride (FOS) Mission: Empowering Upper Valley youth through after school running programs, Finding Our Stride boosts fitness, self-esteem and resilience and connects kids to peers, mentors and community.

FOS Vision:We envision a vibrant Upper Valley where youth thrive socially, emotionally and physically and invest in their communities.

Program Summary: Since 2011, Finding Our Stride's (FOS) free after school running programs have served more than 4,000 children in 33 middle, elementary school, and after school programs in VT and NH's Upper Valley. Sessions of 6-8 weeks are offered in the spring and fall of each year for 450-550 runners per season. Teams practice twice a week for 60 – 90 minutes. School administrators recruit coaches (90% of whom are educators in the schools where they coach) and FOS provides fitness, nutrition and SEL curricula; modest coaching stipends; healthy snacks; team t-shirts; end of season race entry fees and running shoe vouchers for participants demonstrating need. 

Recent achievements include:

Fitness Assessment: on average, our teams improved the number of laps they could run from beginning to end of season by 25%. Team improvement ranged from 5% to 60%. 

Runner Survey Feedback:

93% would recommend FOS to other kids

92% felt included

92% had fun! 

88% will continue to run outside of school once FOS is over

86% keep trying even when things are hard

85% are getting more physical activity than they normally do because of FOS

85% felt kids on the team care about each other

83% are excited to try to find other ways to contribute to their communities, because of FOS