FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: July 19 2022

Contact: Jon Ebelt, Public Information Officer, DPHHS, (406) 444-0936, (406) 461-3757,  jebelt@mt.gov
                Chuck Council, Communications Specialist, DPHHS, (406) 444-4391, (406) 461-8367,  hcouncil@mt.gov

Montana Youth Leadership Forum is July 18 - 22

Event helps students with disabilities learn leadership skills

About 30 students with disabilities are gathering this week at Carroll College and the Capitol in Helena for the annual Montana Youth Leadership Forum (MYLF-pronounced My Life) that began Monday, July 18 and concludes Friday, July 22. 

MYLF is hosted by North Central Independent Living Services with funding through the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) Vocational Rehabilitation and Blind Services (VRBS) Pre-Employment Transition Services program.

DPHHS Director Adam Meier said the annual event provides participants with a wide range of experiences. “MYLF provides students with disabilities an opportunity to engage with peers from across the state to learn leadership and self-advocacy skills while mapping out goals for their future,” Meier said. “The event helps channel youth energy in a positive way to prepare the next generation of individuals with disabilities for leadership in the workforce and in their communities.”

Participants from Missoula, Great Falls, Bainville, Helena, Thompson Falls, Frenchtown, Dillon, Jefferson City, Corvallis and Trout Creek are learning about the history and culture of disability, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Later this week, students will experience assistive technology, such as alternative keyboards, audio books, adaptive video gaming equipment, text to speech devices, and magnification apps.

Various other student activities include training on basic interviewing and work skills; training on basic coping skills to manage stress, anxiety, and depression; advocacy workshops; and the development of Personal Leadership Plans that outline the steps a student will take to become a better leader.

This year, the students will also hear from guest speaker, Shawn Harper, a former offensive tackle for the NFL who will present “The Winning Edge”.

Today, the students visited the Capitol and engaged in a mock legislative learning session in the Senate Chambers.

“The forum teaches people with different abilities advocacy skills, but it does so much more than that; it opens doors, it establishes connections, it changes people’s lives!” said former student delegate, Opal Besaw of Kalispell. “I learned that having a different ability can make you part of a community, a culture, and a movement. I learned that fighting for my rights feels incredible, even though it can sometimes be intimidating.”

To learn more about MYLF, visit the website at http://montanaylf.org/

Through the Pre-Employment Transition Services Program, over 1,036 high school students with disabilities received services in FFY 21. The program directly serves young people ages 14-21 as they transition into adulthood and the workforce to ensure that they are equipped with the skills, support and resources to achieve their individual employment goals alongside other Montanans.  

Layla Riggs of Helena speaks Tuesday on the Senate floor during the annual Montana Youth Leadership Forum.