State Outreach Project - Montana FCCLA

In 2019, Montana FCCLA adopted the Resilient You: Positively Impacting Wellbeing as its State Outreach Project. Through educational programming and service learning, we believe our chapters can make an impact within their local school districts and/or communities. Each chapter is encouraged to develop a project that is meaningful and impactful to their specific region in Montana.

At Montana State University (MSU), the Health and Human Development Department has created a wellbeing model, shown here. This graphic illustrates five domains of wellbeing. These domains are interconnected, yet distinctly different. During the lifespan, resiliency can be developed throughout any of these domains.

Wellbeing can be influenced among the individual, families, and community. We challenge chapters to consider promoting and impacting wellbeing.

Getting Started:

Mapping the Community:

It may be helpful to begin brainstorming by surveying the community for other groups or organizations that are working to impact one or more domains wellbeing. This can be a formal survey, or just a brainstorming session with chapter members. What is happening in your school? Are other organizations doing something to positively impact wellbeing?

Looking for Missing Pieces:

After gaining a better understanding of what awesome things are happening in your school and community, now it’s time to consider what is missing. This is the opportunity for your chapter to make an impact! Are there people in your community that need supplies, or encouragement? Make a list of topic/project ideas.

Action Planning:

Now it’s time to put the FCCLA Planning Process into use. Use the following sheet to continue to identify a concern, set a specific goal, and form a plan. When your chapter is working on planning your State Outreach Project, be sure to look at the reporting elements. These elements should be evident throughout the project; it will make completing the report a breeze.

National Program Curriculum:

National FCCLA Programs can help with guiding the process of developing a topic or idea for each chapter’s State Outreach Project. Student Body, Unit 4: The Resilient You, has many lesson plans, activities, and service learning project ideas that can be used not only in FCCLA chapters, but in the FCS classroom as well. Community Service provides tools to help guide students to develop, plan, carry out, and evaluate service projects. Finally, modules within Career Connection remind students that not only is FCS a robust field, many skills learned while participating in service projects will prepare them for the workforce.

Grants Available to Design and Implement Programs:

Montana Children’s Trust Fund:

The Montana Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) is offering up to six mini-grants of up to $500 to Montana FCCLA chapters to host a “Brain Builder Resource Fair” in their community. Recipients of the mini-grant agree to plan and carry out a family-fun resource fair to improve understanding of child development and increase access of preventative health resources to families in their community. Montana CTF created the Brain Builder resource fair concept with FCCLA members in mind and sees offering these mini-grants as a tremendous opportunity to serve Montana’s children and their families in a fun and meaningful way. CTF’s primary mission is to strengthen Montana’s families, and deeply values FCCLA’s aligned purposes.

Chapters are encouraged to explore and utilize the Brain Builder resource fair toolkit created by the Children’s Trust Fund to help execute their resource fair.

Applications are due November 15, 2019.

Please click here for more information.

Montana Department of Transportation:

The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) and Montana Family Career and Community Leaders of America have partnered for another year to promote traffic safety projects. Grants will be awarded to chapters who plan and carry out projects that help their peers make good decisions to reduce the number of deaths on Montana’s roads.

MDT Contract Funds are sponsored by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – chapters may receive up to $1000 for curriculum.

Carefully read the following Grant Application to understand the requirements of the funding source.