FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: July 15 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 will gather at Carroll College in Helena for the annual Montana Youth Leadership Forum (MYLF-pronounced My Life) from July 18 – 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.

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

The students will also visit the Capitol and engage in a mock legislative learning session in the Senate Chambers on Tuesday, July 19 from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

And, they will experience assistive technology, such as alternative keyboards, audio books, adaptive video gaming equipment, text to speech devices and apps, and magnification apps. This session takes place on Thursday, July 21 from 1 to 2:15 p.m. at Carroll College in the Trinity Hall lounge.

The rest of the week includes various student activities such as 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.

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

Who: 30 students with disabilities from around Montana

What: Montana Youth Leadership Forum

When:  Week of July 18-22

Where: Capitol (Senate Chambers), Carroll College campus