Recent reductions to the National Endowment for the Humanities will cut a little deeper at Columbia Falls High School, where librarian Alia Hanson said a program funded through the state humanities council provided a safe space for many students.

The basement library is one of 13 locations across the state to host a Democracy Project program, which encourages teens to develop community projects that address local needs. With support from Humanities Montana, the clubs bring the projects to life. 

In the 2022-23 school year, Hanson’s students learned about the legislative process and organized a voter registration drive at the school. Last year, the group decided to combat a rash of cyber bullying through a Kindness Week that included the entire student body in activities aimed at building connections. Students are busy planning a similar event for this May, that will also include mental health and suicide prevention resources. 

“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.” 

The success now feels like a double-edged sword as Hanson grapples with how to tell her students that the Democracy Project may be shuttered next school year following large cuts to Humanities Montana’s budget. 

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. 

While a private foundation supports much of the Democracy Project’s budget, the program will likely suffer from reductions in administrative support. According to an email that Humanities Montana staff sent to partner organizations the next day, the cancelled federal grant “pays for all of our programs, grants, staff salaries and other expenses."  

“It was really shocking to get the email that basically their whole operation is shut down,” said Alyssa Cordova, executive director of the Glacier Art Museum in Kalispell, formerly known as the Hockaday Museum of Art. 

Especially concerning for Cordova was the Montana Conversations and Speakers in the Schools programs that Humanities Montana facilitated. Through the programs, artists, historians and other experts received modest stipends, allowing them to travel across the state to give presentations and workshops. 

Several speakers were slated to speak at the inaugural First Peoples Festival that Glacier Art Museum planned to host in June. Cordova hoped the free event would turn into an annual affair that helped carry on the history and culture of Indigenous people in Montana, but now it is unlikely the festival will happen. 

“It’s a cultural loss for our community and it’s a financial loss for [the speakers]. They’re small business owners,” said Cordova. 

The Northwest Montana History Museum has relied on Humanities Montana for several programs throughout the years. A $500 grant from the organization currently funds the museum’s monthly historical book club, and a larger grant allowed the museum to host the first Northwest Montana Book Festival in November 2024. 

Margaret Davis, the museum’s executive director, said the initial event was attended by about 200 people, many of whom had since called to ask about making the festival a regular occurrence. Davis said she is more nervous about putting the resources toward another book festival without the support of Humanities Montana. 

Beyond funding, the organization has served as connective tissue for humanities programs across a largely rural state. Davis said she drew upon the organization for assistance with grant writing and project planning and regularly attended round tables that the organization facilitated to connect with and learn from other museum staff. 

“I always knew they had our back,” said Davis. “It just makes you feel good, more supported, less isolated.” 

Hanson said the professional development and collaboration opportunities she receives as a facilitator for the Democracy Project has been “a lifeline” for her. 

“It’s one of the main things that has kept me going in education,” she said. 

At Columbia Falls High School, Hanson knows the potential closure of Humanities Montana programs will reach far beyond her. 

“There’s going to be a real void, and the kids are going to suffer from it,” she said. “I think it’s just going to make the world a lot smaller without the programing from Humanities Montana.” 

Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at [email protected] or 758-4433.