MISSOULA — When you think of after-school activities, sports, music lessons, or maybe a nap may come to mind.
But a program in Missoula is taking after-school activities to the next level by giving young people of color an opportunity to express themselves, learn, and find a community.
The program — the Association for BIPOC Youth — is one of the many after-school programs the non-profit organization EmpowerMT offers youth in Missoula.
"It’s essentially an affinity space or an after-school club for students of color. BIPOC (means) Black Indigenous People of Color," said program co-founder and co-facilitator Lizzie Mills-Low. "It’s just for students who often don’t get that place in schools and just in the community to come together and have a safe place to grow and learn and have community.”
Both Mills-Low and co-founder Sylvie Tower agree that one of the biggest advantages of being in the group is receiving leadership experience through planning activities and presentations for the group’s gatherings.
“We have a lot of mindfulness and resilience activities just so that we can help other youth to find coping mechanisms, especially with bullying and just getting through hard times,” Mills-Low said.
The stressors of being a young person of color in Western Montana is one of the reasons why Lizzie and Sylvie started the “ABY” program for middle and high school students in 2021.
"Growing up here in Montana in which the population of people of color — whether that be Native American people or Black people — is very low," Tower said. "And I think that’s pretty evident in our public schools. What then happens is, there’s a lot of misunderstanding about our experiences as kids of color.”
Program coordinator and practicum student Jess Monis-Hernandez works closely with the group and listens to what the children have in common.
“That’s what I hear most come up in these groups is when they do speak up about issues, especially at school, they’re often silenced because there’s no one else to say ‘yeah, that happens to me too. And that’s not OK," Monis-Hernandez said.
Despite their past experiences, Monis-Hernandez says it’s magical seeing the young people grow into outspoken leaders.
“There’s something about a really unique shared experience that just really makes that powerful. Just having this group gives the youth the opportunity to be seen, to be heard,” Monis-Hernandez said.
EmpowerMT prides itself on the development of positive identities, strengthening the connection to school through mentorship, and increasing skills and confidence in diffusing conflict through its after-school programs.
These are skills that Tower, a 16-year-old University of Montana student, believes will help her in her journey to becoming an OBGYN.
"I think this is a way for me to develop interpersonal skills and leadership and understand hardships that people are going through because as a health care provider, you have to make sure more so than the medical skills you have to be good at social work and this is a form of social work," Tower said.
Since forming the group, Mills-Low it's been a rewarding experience to have seen the number of people in the group increase along with her confidence.
"A lot of the times we don't realize the fact that bullying and racism, really do get to you and tear you down," Mills-Low said. "But having a group where you can build strength in yourself and in your community and find friendships that help you feel supported, there's a lot of value in that."
