High School Democracy Project future in doubt with cuts

The Democracy Project at Columbia Falls High School might survive, but the support it receives from Humanities Montana is largely in doubt due to federal budget cuts.

The Democracy Project is a group of students headed up by librarian Alia Hanson who do various projects at the school, including a Kindness Day planned for this month. They also study civics and the inner workings of government.

Kindness Day was crafted last year after a rash of cyber bullying. The idea is staff and students are urged to do an act of kindness to a fellow classmate. Last year’s event included prizes and a fun display and games in the high school forum.

The Democracy Project has also exposed staff and students to different speakers, like Montana’s poet laureate, Hanson said.

In the 2022-23 school year, Hanson’s students learned about the legislative process and organized a voter registration drive at the school.

“I see a building of confidence and speaking ability,” said Hanson. “I see, like, a sense of community and connection for kids that may not have that connection in other places in the school. I see them more interested in what’s going on around them.” 

On April 2, the National Endowment for the Humanities canceled a grant that provides funding to state humanities councils, including Humanities Montana. The letter, which was signed by the endowment’s acting chair, referenced President Donald Trump’s agenda as the reason for ending the grant. 

“Your grant’s immediate termination is necessary to safeguard the interests of the federal government, including its fiscal priorities. The termination of your grant represents an urgent priority for the administration, and due to exceptional circumstances, adherence to the traditional notification process is not possible,” it reads.

Since then, the organization has been lobbying for funds to be restored.

Hanson, meanwhile, worries that the professional support offered by the Humanities program will be no more, which is a large part of the Democracy Project, as the organization facilitated communications between librarians across the state.