Austin’s More Than Pink wins regional project award from MCEA
Published 1:43 pm Wednesday, November 1, 2023
- Austin Public Schools’ Jen Lawhead, center, is pictured with representatives from Lakeville, Minnetonka, Anoka-Hennepin, Big Lake, Rochester and Albany. Austin The districts were Statewide Project Award winners by the Minnesota Community Education Association. Austin was recognized for its More Than Pink program. Photo provided
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Austin Public Schools’ More Than Pink program has won a Regional Project Award from the Minnesota Community Education Association.
The award is presented to outstanding projects that have exemplified the concept of Community Education and will be presented to the Austin School Board by a representative of the MCEA at the December School Board Meeting.
Now in its 10th year, More Than Pink is a program designed for girls who have completed third through sixth grade to empower themselves and each other. This six-week summer program innovatively weaves training for a 5K run with lessons that empower girls to celebrate their bodies, honor their voices and embrace their gifts.
A More Than Pink day consists of 60 minutes of physical activity, a Topic Talk lesson and group time. Topics include self-worth, body image, nutrition, puberty, peer pressure and more. Strong female role models from our community lead our Topic Talks.
“More Than Pink has been an inspiring program in Austin for many years and has impacted hundreds of young women in our community,” says Community Education Director Jen Lawhead. “Our Community Education Coordinator, Teri Wermager, brought the program to Austin and has been not only its creator, but also its greatest champion. We are also grateful for the many amazing women from the Austin community who have volunteered their time and talent as guest speakers and fitness leaders for this program.”
The goals of More Than Pink are as follows: to help girls grow and develop mentally, physically, and socially with community support, to empower girls to be true to themselves, to gain healthy fitness habits that will have life-long benefits. The program concludes with a community 5K event that celebrates the learning, training, and community building that happened during the six-week program.
Austin’s Community Education program includes Austin Adult Learning, Community Education, Early Childhood Family Education, Early Childhood Preschool Programming, the Kids Korner program, and more.
