Griffith-based Girls on the Run Northwest Indiana, a nonprofit that empowers young girls, has changed its name to Girls on the Run Indiana Crossroads.
In 2024, Girls on the Run Indiana Crossroads, or GOTR INC, expanded its service area from 10 to 21 counties. The new service area covers Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton, Jasper, Starke, Pulaski, Benton, White, Carroll, Warren, Fountain, Vermillion, Parke, Montgomery, Putnam, Vigo, Clay, Sullivan, Owen and Greene counties. The expansion covers areas to the east and south of the initial service area.
“We believe our new name reflects our commitment to all the girls we serve—from the lakefront to the cities to the rural communities,” said Jill Schlueter-Kim, GOTR INC executive director, in a press release. “We see you. We believe in you. We want you here. We hope you will join us in celebrating our new service area and our new name.”
GOTR INC already has several teams in these new counties and aims to grow their reach with a name that reflects both Northwest and West Central Indiana.
“When Girls on the Run Northwest Indiana applied to expand our service area, our hope was to bring Girls on the Run not to more areas on paper, but into the homes and lives of girls and families across the state,” Schlueter-Kim said. “That means more girls gaining confidence, building friendships and learning they can accomplish anything,”
GOTR INC advances its mission of inspiring girls to be joyful, healthy and confident. According to survey findings reported in the 2023 Girls’ Index by Ruling Our Experiences, overall rates of 5th- to 12th-grade girls' confidence have dropped from 68% in 2017 to 55% in 2023, with 5th- and 6th-graders reporting the most significant declines in confidence and self-perception.
GOTR program leaders aim for attendees to build confidence as they prepare for and complete a 5K celebratory event. In a spring 2025 end-of-season survey capturing results from GOTR INC, 95% of girls said they were more confident, and 96% of coaches said that participants on their team were more confident.
“Girls on the Run INC has served more than 24,000 girls since our opening in 2007,” Schlueter-Kim said. “With research-based curricula and comprehensive national coach training, GOTR INC is meeting the needs of today’s girls.”
