We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
The University of Montana’s Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center has developed a free program called Big Sky LEAD (Leadership, Engagement, and Development) for high school students from across Montana.
Open to fifteen Montana high school students (sophomores through seniors) who have demonstrated an interest in leadership, community service, and civic engagement, Big Sky LEAD aims to develop the next generation of Montana civic leaders. Applications are due on November 8.
Tyson Warner, Program Officer for Democracy Youth Engagement, encourages applicants with these words: “We’re seeking students eager to make a difference in their communities. If you’re passionate about making Montana a better place, Big Sky LEAD is for you! You will form connections with peers and community leaders that will last a lifetime.”
Warner added: “Our objective is to empower Montana’s future leaders. At Big Sky LEAD, fifteen high school students from across Montana will have the unique opportunity to learn from experienced leaders, participate in hands-on civic engagement, and develop skills to make positive change.”
The program will take place on three dates: December 4-5 in Missoula, January 8-9 at the state capital in Helena, and April 23-24 in Missoula. All travel, meals, and lodging are fully funded.
At the first session in Missoula, the theme will be Leadership and Democracy. The diverse group of youth selected will build leadership skills and meet people from across Montana, as well as Pulitzer Prize winning historian and best-selling author Doris Kearns Goodwin. Additionally, youth will participate in workshops that teach them how to lead with integrity, unite people for a cause, and build relationships that cross differences.
In the second session scheduled to meet in Helena, the group will witness Democracy in Action. Not only will they watch the legislative process firsthand to learn how decisions are made but they will meet face-to-face with government officials, nonprofit professionals, and advocacy organizations from across the political spectrum.
Finally, the April session in Missoula will extend the idea of building meaningful relationships. Students will meet Montana leaders and discuss subjects that matter most to them individually. A featured discussion with Harvard social scientist Robert Putnam will focus on how civic engagement strengthens and moves a democracy forward. Putnam stars in the documentary Join or Die, which is available on Netflix and presents Putnam’s “Bowling Alone” theory. Putnam spent decades researching how the decline in community engagement has created an American civic crisis. With Putnam, youth will explore three urgent civic questions: What makes democracy work? Why is American democracy in crisis? And, what can we do about it?
Those intrigued by the Big Sky LEAD program can learn more and apply by visiting the Mansfield Center—University of Montana web page, selecting High School Programs, and following the hyperlink for Big Sky LEAD (www.umt.edu/mansfield/high-school/).
“Learn how to enact change for issues you care about and learn how to create the change you envision,” Warner invites. “Apply today!”
