How does the project align with the mission of the Human Relations Commission, and how will it aid in the elimination of prejudice, intolerance, and discrimination?
Aligned with the mission of the Human Relations
Commission, Girls on the Run is committed to inclusion, diversity, equity, and access (IDEA). Providing an ASL interpreter will allow us to Intentionally include girls from the DHH community, who traditionally may have been excluded from community activities due to communication barriers.
How will the project empower Riverside communities and promote an informed and inclusive multicultural society?
By running a camp program that includes girls who are deaf and/or hard-of-hearing, we aspire to establish positive connections among girls in our community who otherwise may have limited opportunities to interact. With the assistance of an interpreter, we will have the opportunity to facilitate communication, and ultimately relationship building, between the girls. In addition, Camp GOTR will provide an opportunity for any hearing mentors, coaches, and team participants to learn some basic communication skills in ASL. Last, by Including girls who are deaf and/or hard-of hearing, our Camp GOTR program will have the opportunity to promote not just diversity but also respect for deaf culture.
How will the community be involved in the project, and how will it benefit the community?
Teen and adult volunteers from our community will be recruited to coach Camp GOTR. We will work with community organizations (community centers, schools, churches, etc) to identify an appropriate location for camp. By providing an ASL interpreter, we will extend the reach of our evidence-based programming, helping even more girls in Riverside feel joyful, healthy, and confident! Our goal is for this Camp GOTR program to build understanding, respect, relationships, and communication skills for our volunteers, coaches, site sponsors, and participants, and that ultimately these benefits will help promote a more informed and inclusive community.
Can you describe your organization's prior experience in carrying out similar projects?
Since 2020, Girls on the Run Riverside has served over 560 girls through our school-year and summer programming.
Last summer, we partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of the Inland Empire to offer Camp GOTR for BBBS clients and their mentors. In addition, we ran a Camp GOTR program at Mead Valley Community Center, coached by teen and adult volunteers. More recently, we partnered with CBU's Sport and Performance Psychology Graduate Program to host a "Spring Warm Up" event in celebration of Women in Sports Day. At the free event, our teen coaches will lead small and large-group activities about friendship from our Camp curriculum. Since our founding, we have established strong relationships with numerous local businesses, organizations, and donors, which we will leverage to cover the remaining costs associated with this project.
What is your plan for evaluating the success of the project, and what specific outcomes will you use to measure success? .. "�-:;?rt.
We will track participant registration data to ensure at leasf25% of the girls included are deaf and hard-of-hearing.
We will distribute surveys to obtain participant, parent, and coach feedback to evaluate to what degree the Camp GOTR experience positively impacted participant's sense of belonging, inclusion, self-esteem, and communication skills (Goal: 80% or more ratings of agree/strongly agree across each domain).