On May 1st, I will be walking/running the Circle Trot 2K/5K/10K in Plymouth, NH to support the Circle Program.

I'm participating in the Circle Trot race and raising funds because this program has benefitted many students from the district that I work in. 

The Circle Trot is a major fundraiser for the Circle Program, a 24-year-old non-profit organization that serves at-risk NH girls through mentoring and summer camp opportunities. 

It costs $6,200 to keep each girl in the program for the year. I might not be able to write a check for that amount today, but I can certainly do this race. 

Please partner with me and do the something you can do. 

If you want to learn more about the organization or this race, please visit www.circleprogram.org

Thank you for your support

  The Circle Program provides girls from low-income New Hampshire families with new opportunities to learn the skills, courage and confidence they need to handle the challenges in their lives. We do this through a unique combination of adult and peer support that is delivered through our year-round mentoring and residential summer camp programs.

     The Circle Program’s philosophy is closely aligned with Positive Youth Development, which emphasizes building assets and skills. Positive Youth Development, a research-based approach (Lerner et al., 2005), focuses on promoting healthy developmental potential and outcomes.

     The goals, referred to as the 6 C’s, seek to:

• Enhance social, emotional, cognitive and vocationalcompetence

• Improve self-esteem, self-confidence and self-efficacy

• Build and strengthen connections with other people and institutions

• Enhance character development through increased self-control, decreased involvement in risky behaviors and respect for society’s rules

• Increase capacity for caring through empathy and identification with others

• Give girls opportunities to belong and “give back” through community service; their contribution.

     These 6 core principles provide the foundation for the Circle Program’s summer camp and year-round mentoring programs.