Montana:

RYV Statewide Student Leadership Team

Projects:
The Montana Student Leadership Team recently provided the framework for their “Student Declaration on Civic Engagement.” Based on models employed by RYV programs in other states, but uniquely geared to Montana, student leaders have begun their declaration and will complete it during the Month of Action. The declaration will be unveiled at AIHEC (American Indian Higher Education Consortium) in Billings, Montana on March 20 , 2004. This declaration promises insight and guidance for institutes of higher education trying to civically engage their student bodies.

Montana Raise Your Voice culminates its Month of Action with a student forum on March 19th and March 20th in Billings, MT. This forum will coincide with AIHEC and includes further recruitment of Native American student leaders as RYV tries to build a strong relationship with, and network between, civically engaged tribal colleges.

Carroll College
Helena, MT

Student Leaders: Brittany Burton and Adrian Soucek
Contact info.: bburton@carroll.edu or mrsbalboa@hotmail.com

Project:
The Carroll College Raise Your Voice Student Leaders will spend the Month of Action working with the kids at God’s Love Transitional Housing facility. This project is dedicated to creating a sustainable after-school program two days a week for children living in the shelter. We are partnering with various community organizations. The program starts Monday, February 2, and continues until the first week in May. Our goal is to keep this after-school program as a permanent resource for the shelter—by creating internship positions for those who wish to dedicate their time and effort to sustaining the program. One Saturday during the Month of Action will be devoted to providing CPR and First Aid training to parents from God’s Love.

Montana State University
Bozeman, MT

Student Leaders: Nick Bardonner
Contact info.: nbardonner@hotmail.com

Project:
The Montana State Student Leaders (who also staff the MSU Leadership Institute) will be spending their Month of Action furthering their Anti-apathy Campaign. In an effort to increase student-voter turnout, they will hold a “Rock the Vote” concert and an “open-air” candidate debate for campus elections and establish “voting meters” to chart campus voter turnout. During the Month of Action, the Anti-apathy Campaign will also actively recruit student volunteers to aid in events this coming fall as their work expands to include increasing student participation in state and national elections.


Montana Tech of the University of Montana
Butte, MT

Student Leaders: Oakley Clark-Snustad, Jen Preble
Contact info.: ORClarksnustad@mtech.edu and jmpreble@mtech.edu

Project:
During the Month of Action, Student Leaders at Montana Tech will be hosting a service fair, a “voting awareness evening,” and a month-long blood drive. The service fair will bring together campus and community organizations in need of volunteers while expanding the potential for these organizations’ collaboration. The service fair will also produce a “directory of service” for the Butte area. The voting awareness evening looks to the coming state and national elections. The evening will utilize candidates or currently serving politicians to discuss issues and provide a forum to register voters. This evening will feature high school, community, and campus attendees. As an ongoing project, throughout the Month of Action, the RYV team will join with Montana Tech’s Prospector’s Club to host a blood drive, hoping to raise the number of donors to this annual campaign by 5 percent.

University of Montana
Missoula, MT

Student Leaders: Jacole Douglas, Heather Fanning, Eben Reckord
Contact info.: pledge_um@yahoo.com

Project:
University of Montana Student Leaders will use the Month of Action to promote the newly created UM Ethics Pledge. The UM Ethics Pledge creates a set of three pledges open to incoming freshmen, graduating seniors, and faculty and staff. These pledges bolster discussion about, and participation in, ethical behavior both on and off campus. The Month of Action will find the UM student leadership team hosting a film series, a speakers series, training sessions for pledge facilitators, an art/poetry contest, a debate on “historical perspectives” on ethics, and an open forum for current seniors interested in signing the UM Ethics Pledge. Furthermore, the student leadership team will be forming a committee of engaged faculty, students, staff and administrators to help institutionalize and sustain the Ethics Pledge.

Chief Dull Knife College
Lame Deer, MT

Student Leaders: Larry White Dirt and Glenda Littlebird
RYV Mentor: Regina White Dirt
Contact info.: whitedirt@msn.com, ldyndnmp@yahoo.com, regina@cdkc.edu

Project:
Chief Dull Knife Student Leaders will be continuing their commitment to their local community during the Month of Action. Borrowing on the tremendous success of their community hand-game tournaments, the Student Leaders will establish a literacy program with local Head-Start programs, and also a “reading to elders” program. Work with local elders will continue during the Month of Action as Student Leaders create a partnership with a local elders’ home and the college library to provide them reading materials. Student Leaders will also be busy collaborating on planning the next student forum as it joins AIHEC (American Indian Higher Education Consortium).

Fort Peck Community College
Wolf Point, MT

Student Leaders: Kathy Round Face, LaFaye Lizotte
Contact info.: dakota_sioux2@yahoo.com and lafaye_anne@yahoo.com

Project:
Student Leaders at Fort Peck Community College will continue their work on the Fort Peck Community College Basics Center. The Basics Center is a place where college students and community members can go to get their basic needs met. Some needs they address include providing diapers for those with children, clothes to those without, and a place for college students and community members to find referrals to other organizations to provide for other needs. This project will be conducted reservation-wide serving both tribal and non-tribal members. Student Leaders from Fort Peck Community College will also be collaborating with RYV staff to help coordinate the RYV student forum with AIHEC during the Month of Action.