Funded by the Charles Engelhard Foundation and the Llewellyn Foundation
In 2023 the Democracy Project continued to evolve to meet expressed needs of librarians. A soft launch option was initiated to give some sites a longer on-ramp providing time, support, and resources to build a teen audience. It also offers sites the ability to press pause on involvement while staying connected. The first soft launch cohort included 3 sites: Medicine Spring Library in Browning, Stillwater County Library in Columbus, and Geraldine Public Library. The full program happened in 8 sites. Successful voter registration drives were held at almost all sites. The Columbia Falls teens presented at the Montana Library Association conference in Butte. Half of the sites received sizable Libraries Transforming Communities grants from the American Library Association to address accessibility issues.
Open to people 13-19 years old
Free to participate
Librarians interested in the next round of the Democracy Project are welcome to fill out an application.
The Democracy Project helps create good memories and bonds. You also get to interact with your school and community. It helps you get to know other people and their perspectives.
Our librarian believed in us! It’s hard to do something without a believer. She helped us become more organized and brought such a positive aspect.
The speakers and guidance that you provide are an invaluable resource. That you do it for low or no cost is an immeasurable blessing for a tiny library!
I’m just so thrilled and grateful to have this opportunity to engage with speakers and artists for an affordable price. I've never been disappointed. The fact that such a wealth of knowledge, experience, and creativity is literally at our fingertips makes us, as Montanans, incredibly
fortunate.
Loved that this presentation was available for a small copay, and that the museum had access to all the materials necessary to publicize the event. The process was a breeze. The museum hopes to schedule more speakers in the future, as attendees to this event and other speaker events hosted at the museum have requested more, similar programs representing a broader breadth of subject matter. People in our area absolutely want to experience Humanities Montana’s programs!
I really enjoy working with Humanities Montana and utilizing excellent presenters through Montana Conversations. Many people in this community value presentations such as this and want more. There is a want and need for this in the town of Winnett.
I personally enjoy the freedom of the Montana Conversations program, the ability to choose any program that may interest my patrons and the flexibility of the speakers for scheduling make this program worth it every time we have one.
As always, the Speakers in the Schools Program exceeded our expectations. Your program brings valuable educational resources and experiences to our students that they simply would not have access to within our regular curriculum. As a rural school without a lot of extra financial resources, we are beyond grateful for your programs.
I am a huge fan of Humanities MT and the Speakers in the Schools program. Teachers and students benefit greatly from real-life experiences. Your presenters are high quality, varied, and inspiring. Thank you!
This program made it possible for the kids in my school to have access to something we might not have otherwise pursued. Thank you so very much for funding this opportunity!
