BOYS RUN I TOOWÚ KLATSEEN
To go to the official Boys Run I toowú klatseen website, click HERE.
Team stretching before 2022 Boys Run 5K Fun Run. (Photo by James Poulson, Daily Sitka Sentinel)
Boys face pressures to conform to negative stereotypes, perpetuating a culture of violence. Boys Run I toowú klatseen recognizes the need for boys in Southeast Alaska to have a healthy after-school program that enhances self-esteem.
Boys Run envisions boys and men possessing “strength of spirit.” Through our ten-week program – composed of running, discussion, and culturally-based activities that honor Southeast Alaska traditional values – participants gain the skills they need to build healthy relationships and create a community of respect for self and others.
Third to fifth grade boys learn to use healthy communication to resolve conflict, resist peer pressure, and challenge bullying. Participants practice setting goals, working together as a team, and making positive decisions to promote healthy lifestyles. Through peer role-modeling and with the mentorship of adults in the community, boys incorporate these values into their lives.
Boys Run envisions boys growing up into confident, compassionate men who celebrate cultural diversity while promoting healthy relationships, non-violence, and gender equity – and who will, in turn, demonstrate and teach those values to the next generation of boys.
SAFV supports Boys Run as part of our primary prevention programming. Alaska has some of the highest rates of suicide, substance use, domestic violence, and sexual assault in the nation. Connection to supportive adults, healthy problem-solving skills, and other social and emotional skills can protect youth against unhealthy situations such as dating violence, harassment, and self-destructive behaviors.
SAFV launched Boys Run in 2014 after realizing the success of Girls on the Run. We worked with partners in Sitka and Juneau to create a similar program for 3rd-5th grade boys. Boys Run is now coordinated and implemented in Sitka by the Pathways Coalition, and is offered annually as part of Keet Gooshi Heen Elementary School's after-school programs. In 2015, the program expanded to the community of Kake with great success.
2022 Boys Run 5k Fun Run. (Photo by James Poulson, Daily Sitka Sentinel)
Get Involved
Participate: Want to sign your boy up to spend a season with a team training for a 5K fun run and learning valuable lessons such as respect for themselves and others, dealing with emotions in a healthy way, and what it means to possess “strength of spirit?” Visit boysrun.org/register-a-boy to learn more. Scholarships are available, no questions asked.
Coach: Coaching is an incredible way to be a mentor for young boys, as well as to think about your own emotional health and relationships. Boys Run coaches report overwhelmingly positive experiences that helped them become better men, better teachers, and better fathers. Adults of all genders are eligible to coach and no running experience is necessary. Visit boysrun.org/become-a-coach to learn more.
Donate: We keep our costs for Boys Run as low as we can, in part thanks to our partnerships and volunteer coaches. However, half of our participants need scholarships each year. Individuals and organizations can fully sponsor a participant for $100, tax-deductible through SAFV. If you are interested in providing a partial or full scholarship, email schools@safv.org.
Media
Boys Run coaches recruit participants in a 2023 KCAW interview.
Boys Run coaches and participants prepare for the end of season 5K in a 2022 KCAW interview.
The 2017 Monday/Wednesday team made this video to teach their community about environmental stewardship.
