Girls on the Run founder to present ‘Putting Your Passion to Work’

A leader in girls’ education, Molly Barker will present “Putting Your Passion to Work” at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 11, in the Student Union Movie Theater.

Barker founded Girls on the Run in 1996 in Charlotte. A four-time Hawaii Ironman triathlete, she used her background in social work, counseling and teaching, along with research on adolescent issues, to develop the program. Currently, there are Girls on the Run councils in more than 210 cities across North America. They reach 200,000-plus girls and women each year.

In founding Girls on the Run, Barker wanted to create a connected and safe “space” that invites girls and women to see, unravel from and eliminate their own and often unconscious buy-in to the “Girl Box” and its limiting messages. Barker coined the phrase “Girl Box” to describe the imaginary place many girls go during adolescence where cultural and societal stereotypes limit choices and opportunities.

Barker has been featured in various media outlets, including People, Runner’s World, Glamour, Shape, Redbook and Woman’s Day magazines. She is the author of two books “Girls on Track: A Parent’s Guide to Inspiring our Daughters to Achieve a Lifetime of Self-Esteem and Respect” and “Girls Lit from Within,” specifically for girls in third to eighth grades.

The Nov. 11 event, which is free and open to the public, is being sponsored by the Campus Activities Board. The presentation will include a question-and-answer session with attendees.