Columbus, MT

Now that the Horizons Mentoring Committee is working hard to get an afterschool program started hopefully this fall, who has collaborated with the committee to help them get to the point where they are?

Juliana Stevens and Katy Matovich were the initial co-chairs of the mentoring committee and met early on with Gail Richardson, Park City School Principal, and Mary Jo Engel, coordinator for an afterschool program in Big Timber to do an informal needs assessment and to determine possible expectations for the Columbus community.

Juliana Stevens attended the Eighth Annual Montana Afterschool Conference, sponsored by the Montana Afterschool Network (http://www.mtafterschool.org/) where she gained insight into establishing an afterschool program and shared with the committee.

Mr. Al Sipes, Columbus School Superintendent, and the administration from the Columbus Middle School and Columbus Elementary School worked with the Horizons Mentoring Committee to distribute afterschool program surveys. Approximately 160 surveys were returned to the teachers and elementary and middle school office staff. Roxie Holden from Stageline Pizza and the Stillwater Coalition supplied treats for the kids who returned their surveys to the schools.

Also, the Greater Gallatin United Way provided sample afterschool program handbooks for parents and for staff. Their website is www.greatergallatinunitedway.org.

Meetings were also held with the Stillwater Youth Center Board to explore the possibility of using its facility for the Horizons Afterschool Program.

Currently, Joey Hegstrum, the Executive Director of the Stillwater Community Coalition and Sharon Diane, Prevention Specialist with the Stillwater Tobacco Use Prevention Program, have agreed to serve as co-coordinators with the Stillwater Community Coalition serving as the fiscal program using their 501(C)3 status.

As the Columbus Horizons Project sunsets on June 30, 2008, plans proceed to establish an afterschool program for the Columbus community hopefully this fall.

http://columbus.communityblogs.us/2008/06/30/the-columbus-horizons-mentoring-committee-has-come-a-long-way/

The Columbus Community Foundation has enlisted a board of directors to establish the focus and goals of the foundation. The Board Members are: Melissa Kramer, Amy Drain, Barb Potzman, Linda Halstead-Acharya, Pam Williams, Forrest Mandeville, Mary Kroll, and Ron Martinez.

The Board will be working through an extensive “to do” list including:

http://columbus.communityblogs.us/2008/06/30/columbus-community-foundation-board-of-directors/

The Town of Columbus is an affiliate member of the Montana Main Street Program. This program provides resources for economic revitalization efforts in the downtown area of Columbus. The focus of the program was a vacant lot on Main Street that was the result of a fire in 2001. This area is a true sign of aesthetic poverty in the community.

The Beautification Committee from the Horizons program has decided to partner with the Main Street Project. This will eliminate a duplication of efforts and allow the program volunteers to work together, rather than pull energy from one another . Please contact Melissa Kramer, Stillwater County Economic Development Coordinator, 322-8050 with any questions.

http://columbus.communityblogs.us/2008/06/30/montana-main-street-program-partnership/

At the Freedom Celebration and the Stillwater County Fair in July 2007 and at each of the farmers’ markets, the Columbus Horizons Steering Committee received volunteer signatures for the mentoring reading program with the elementary school. The Horizons Mentoring Committee submitted the names, phone numbers and addresses of the reading volunteers to the elementary principal in the fall of the year to be used for either reading to the students or the students reading to the adults.

The study circles on poverty suggested a parent mentoring program, but there was no interest from parents in the community. Thus, the Horizons Mentor Committee has turned its attention to another priority from the study circles and from LeadershipPlenty® classes, an afterschool program for children. After sending out surveys through the school, the committee received 160 responses to the surveys. Joey Hegstrum, the Executive Director of the Stillwater Community Coalition and Sharon Diane, Prevention Specialist with the Stillwater Tobacco Use Prevention Program have agreed to serve as co-coordinators with the Stillwater Community Coalition serving as the lead agency.

The Horizons Mentor Committee is proceeding to fight poverty through their mission and vision statements. The mission statement of the program is as follows: Our goal is to provide youth of this community with enriching activities, guidance and skills in a safe environment which will enable them to lead productive healthy lives. We will address risk factors associated with poverty to allow youth to thrive, prosper and grow. For the purpose of our mission, as was the Horizon’s Project, poverty is not only limited to financial issues. Poverty encompasses the lack of adequate emotional, mental and spiritual support systems as well as relationships with positive role models. The vision statement of the program is as follows:

To provide an afterschool program that helps the youth of our community to overcome risk factors by providing them the tools that will allow them to make healthy life choices.

The target is to have an operational program by this fall.

http://columbus.communityblogs.us/2008/06/26/horizons-accomplishments-mentoringafter-school-program/