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Bartlesville Public Schools Foundation's (BPSF) Bruins on the Run program wraps up its third season.

BPSF Executive Director Blair Ellis says they have had positive feedback from students, parents and teacher mentors alike at the end of another great season. Ellis says they are thrilled to see relationships improving amongst the students as well as amongst their teacher mentors. She says they strive to give kids and teachers an opportunity to interact outside of the classroom.

Bruins on the Run started in 2018. Ellis says BPSF applied for a collaboration grant from the Bartlesville Community Foundation (BCF) for $25,000 in 2018. She says the "seed money," as well as partnerships with Richard Kane YMCA and Run the Streets, allowed them to launch the program at Jane Phillips, Kane, and Wayside elementary schools. The original idea was to get the fifth grades students interacting with one another before they were blended into one building – Central Middle School.

BPSF has taken over the Bruins on the Runs and has been able to provide sustainable funding. Ellis says Arvest Bank sponsored the program this year. She says a grant from Walmart and more grants from BCF have helped BPSF keep the event running.

Bruins on the Run started with approximately 30 students and 20 teacher mentors in 2018. Ellis says they have grown over the years. She says they had 112 students and 56 teacher mentors who volunteered their time to run after school with their students.

Ellis says they have been blessed that they haven't had to turn any students away. She says they try to get students into Bruins on the Run that would really benefit from an extracurricular activity and a teacher mentor. 

Individual donors/parents have made a big contribution to Bruins on the Run, too. Ellis says some parents that have kids in the program that can afford for them to be there have paid for other students to participate. She says these acts of kindness really show how people have bought in to the program and what it means for Bartlesville's youth.

BPSF covers the cost of professional shoe fitting and sneakers for the kids that are involved in Bruins on the Run. Ellis says New Balance out of Tulsa come up to fit the runners for the shoes. She says BPSF provides running shirts and pays for race registrations for both Miles for Mammograms 5K at the end of September and the Woolaroc 8K in mid to late October. Shirts and race registrations for mentors are also paid for by BPSF.

Dr. Kyle Craig and Dr. Erin Hightower have contributed to Bruins on the Run over the years by providing sports physicals. Ellis thanks Dr. Craig and Dr. Hightower for their donated time. She also thanks the Bartlesville Transportation Department for providing busses. She says they wouldn't be successful without them and bus drivers Zack Michael, Alan Godwin, and Erin Kuntz. Six program coordinators - one at each elementary site - makes Bruins on the Run a success as well.

This program has inspired others across Oklahoma. Ellis says the program has inspired other school districts to model what they have done. She says they even received an Outstanding Program Award from the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence for their work with Bruins on the Run. 

Ellis says Bruins on the Run is now offered at all six of the elementary school sites. She says 10 to 30 kids per site participate in the program on average.

Generally, the ratio is one teacher mentor for three students. Ellis says they want students to really build relationships with their teachers. She says they are better able to create goals and accomplish them together if they are closer in relationship, too.

There may be a spring season, but that is yet to be decided. Ellis says it will be a mini-session if they decide to run in the spring. She says they look forward to whatever comes their way for Bruins on the Run.

Photo courtesy: Bartlesville Public Schools Foundation