July 2026
Montana Campuses Turn Remembrance into Action Through 9/11 Day of Service Projects
This September, nine Montana colleges and universities within the Montana Campus Network for Civic Engagement will honor the 25th anniversary of the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance by transforming reflection into meaningful action. Through projects that recognize veterans, first responders, families, and community organizations, students, faculty, staff, and local partners will demonstrate how service continues to unite communities across the state.
At Great Falls College MSU, the campus will launch “Otterly Grateful: A Veteran Appreciation Project,” assembling 50–75 appreciation care packages for student veterans and military-connected students. Volunteers from across campus will package GFC-branded items, handwritten messages of gratitude, and other gifts before distributing them later in September. Educational reflections throughout the event will connect participants to the legacy of September 11 while emphasizing the enduring importance of supporting those who have served.
In eastern Montana, Miles Community College will bring together students and local Special Olympics participants for “Heroes Helping Heroes.” Working side by side, volunteers will assemble more than 100 care packages for police officers, firefighters, dispatchers, sheriff’s deputies, and other first responders serving the Miles City community. The collaborative project highlights inclusion, civic engagement, and appreciation while strengthening relationships among the college, Special Olympics athletes, and emergency service agencies.
At Montana State University Billings, the “Serving Those Who Serve Us” initiative will celebrate healthcare workers and first responders through hands-on appreciation activities. Volunteers will create thank-you gifts, artwork, flowers, and messages of encouragement for local hospitals, while educational programming will invite participants to reflect on the resilience, unity, and service that emerged from the events of September 11 and continue to inspire communities today.
Montana Technological University will host a Day of Remembrance Collaborative Lunch, inviting first responders from Butte-Silver Bow to share a meal with students, faculty, and staff. Participants will also contribute to a campus food drive supporting the local pantry, with organizers setting a goal of collecting at least 250 food items in recognition of America’s 250th anniversary. The event emphasizes fellowship, gratitude, and the opportunity to serve those who dedicate their lives to serving others.
The University of Montana will once again expand its successful “Fall into Service” initiative into a week of volunteer opportunities across Missoula and western Montana. Students will support food security efforts, clean the Clark Fork River, build homes with Habitat for Humanity, prepare meals for families experiencing housing insecurity, visit elementary classrooms as reading buddies, assist Glacier National Park stewardship projects, and serve veterans at the Poverello Center. Each volunteer event will include opportunities for reflection on how acts of service honor the legacy of September 11 while building stronger, more connected communities.
At Blackfeet Community College, “A Blackfeet Day of Remembrance” will open with a traditional prayer, drumming and singing, and remarks from elders, veterans, and first responders. About 20 volunteers will then prepare care packages and collect essential items for community members in need, tying the day to Blackfeet values of respect, reciprocity, and service.
In southwest Montana, the University of Montana Western will hold “Carry It Forward: UMW Dillon 9/11 Day of Service,” engaging 110 to 125 volunteers across 11 service tracks, from food pantry support to first responder appreciation. UMW will partner with the Montana Youth Challenge Academy, whose cadets will lead the opening flag ceremony and serve alongside students. The day will close with a pie social and pledges of additional service hours.
At Carroll College in Helena, the “Service in Action Fair” will connect an expected 300 to 500 students, faculty, and community members with 10 to 12 local nonprofits through hands-on service rather than recruitment booths. Students will assemble hygiene kits, food packs, baby care kits, and foster-care welcome bags, turning a typical volunteer fair into immediate community impact.
In northwest Montana, Flathead Valley Community College will host its “9/11 Week of Service,” building on a project that drew more than 120 volunteers last year. Activities include a community dinner with the Flathead Community Kitchen, a visit to the Montana Veterans Home, a “Pizza and Preparedness” emergency-kit event, and the FVCC Gives Back campaign, which donates food pantry items for every volunteer pledge.
Together, these 9 projects demonstrate the power of civic engagement across Montana’s colleges and universities. From supporting veterans and first responders to addressing food insecurity, environmental stewardship, affordable housing, and community wellness, students are carrying forward the spirit of 9/11 Day by turning remembrance into service. Their efforts reflect a shared commitment to honoring those who answered the call 25 years ago while inspiring a new generation to answer the call to serve their own communities today.
May 2026
9/11 Day of Service Grants Available to Campuses
The MCNCE network partners with the Alliance for Campus Community Engagement and together, we received grant funding for the 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance. Our Montana colleges and universities, and their staffs and students, regularly organize impactful service projects, and actively support students in building connections and ties to their communities, supporting retention and completion, as well as developing citizenship skills.
In honor and observance of 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, these funds (from $1250-2500) will support campus-led service projects that engage students, faculty, staff, and community members in remembrance and civic action aligned with 9/11 Day, the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance.
Applicants are encouraged to partner with local organizations that address needs of the campus and/or surrounding community such as:
-Hunger Relief (Meal Pack, Food Drive, etc.)
-Care Package Assembly and Distribution
-Veteran or First Responder Appreciation
-Disaster Response, Environmental Stewardship/Conservation
-Other
Target volunteer engagement of at least 100* individuals per campus including faculty, staff, students, and community members (*per $2500 grant, target of at least 50 volunteers per $1250 grant) . Projects must be conducted between September 1 and September 25, 2026.
Details
Application link: https://cea.givepulse.com/survey/take/4kZIIxymRxWKu8CKoueK
Deadline:June 26th, 2026. Early applications welcomed.
Questions: Call or email Josh Vanek, Executive Director vanek@mtengage.org | 406-243-5175 | mtengage.org
“9/11 Mini Grants for College Service Projects“
Hello Montana colleagues:
We are part of the Western Region Continuums of Service Consortium and received grant funding for the upcoming 9/11 Day of Service. As a network of 18 colleges and universities statewide that support college student community service, we’re excited to get the word out! We know many colleges in our network already host service projects, helping students build connections and ties to their communities, which in turn support retention and completion, as well as develop their skills as citizens.
In honor and observance of 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, these funds (from $250-500) are intended to support getting students involved in community service projects. Projects can range from food drives for campus and community food pantries, card writing to people in a care facility, to making care packages for first responders, campus/community clean up, and so much more. Campus leaders often are members of local service organizations like Rotary and Kiwanis, and may have some great ideas for local projects. Grantees will complete a brief post-event report.
So, if you are already hosting a service project around 9/11 Day, or would like to, we have some mini grants available to help with things like pizza, drinks, speakers or other items to make the day special. The application is incredibly short, and we’d love to support what you’ve got happening, or help you plan something. While many use 9/11 as the day, we And remember, students are great assets in this!
Details
Application link: https://forms.gle/sYtLc8bCx9ZGQg3P8
Deadline:Sept. 4th, 2025. Early applications welcomed.
Questions: Call or email!
Funding: if funded, due to the time it takes for us to cut checks, your grant may be used to reimburse 9/11 Day costs you’ve already incurred.
“Montana Campus Compact reveals new name: Montana Campus Network for Civic Engagement (MCNCE).”
Over the past thirty years, a diverse set of Montana colleges and universities have aligned their public service and student engagement work as the Montana Campus Compact. As a key part of the national Campus Compact movement, Montana Campus Compact has, over its history, successfully supported thousands of college student volunteers to serve in communities. This campus network has trained faculty in reciprocal community-engaged teaching, leveraged millions of dollars in AmeriCorps funding for students, supported scholarships, and honored the contributions of hundreds of exceptional Montana students working closely with the Governor’s Office of Community Service, Reach Higher Montana, and others. Following an intentional change to the organization’s structure with long-time national partner Campus Compact, Montana’s college presidents charged staff with a community needs assessment and planning process with stakeholders.
18 Montana Higher Education Campuses Form a New Network to Support Student Engagement
In early 2024, campus leaders from Montana’s private, state, and tribal colleges and universities engaged in a planning process to understand the intersections of their student and community needs to connect the two better. The planning work resulted in a clear charge to launch a new campus network called the Montana Campus Network for Civic Engagement. Led by campus CEOs and supported by campus staff and faculty, this statewide network’s mission is to educate college students about civic responsibility and partner with communities to inspire, empower, and promote community service and civic engagement.
Executive Board
Chair: John Cech, President, Carroll College
Vice Chair: Stefani Hicswa, Chancellor, MSU Billings
Past Chair: Jane Karas, President, Flathead Valley Community College
Members: Seth Bodnar, President, University of Montana; Sean Chandler, President, Aaniiih Nakoda College; Waded Cruzado, President, Montana State University; Stephanie Erdman, Dean, Great Falls College MSU; and McCall Flynn, Executive Director, Montana Board of Public Education
QUOTES ABOUT THE LAUNCH
“Colleges and universities in Montana are a vibrant part of our local communities, contributing volunteers, time, energy, and physical spaces to the common good. Whether through Service Saturdays, food drives, or long-term partnerships with schools and nonprofits, we work hard to be part of the communities that host our institutions. The Montana Campus Network for Civic Engagement, which comprises 18 higher education institutions in Montana, marks a fresh and vibrant re-launch and renewal of the work started over thirty years ago by visionary Montana college presidents like George Dennison (University of Montana) and Joe McDonald (Salish Kootenai College). “
President John Cech, Carroll College
“Civic engagement on our campuses is as important now as ever. We know that students involved in their campus communities do better in their classes and are retained and graduate at a higher rate. I am excited by the changes we are making and look forward to the opportunities it will bring for our students.”
Chancellor Stefani Hicswa, MSU Billings
PARTICIPATING COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES:
- Aaniiih Nakoda College, Fort Belknap, President Sean Chandler
- Blackfeet Community College, Browning, President Brad Hall
- Carroll College, Helena, President John Cech
- Chief Dull Knife College, Lame Deer, President Eva Flying
- Dawson Community College, Glendive, President Chad Knudson
- Flathead Valley Community College, Kalispell, President Jane Karas
- Fort Peck Community College, Poplar, President Craig Smith
- Great Falls College MSU, Great Falls, Dean Stephanie Erdman
- Helena College UM, Helena, Dean Sandra Bauman
- Little Big Horn College, Crow Agency, Interim President Neva Tall Bear
- Miles Community College, Miles City, President Ron Slinger
- Montana State University, Bozeman, President Waded Cruzado
- MSU Billings, Billings, Chancellor Stefani Hicswa
- MSU-Northern, Havre, Chancellor Greg Kegel
- Montana Technological University, Butte, Chancellor Les Cook
- Salish Kootenai College, Pablo, Interim President Dr. Stacey Sherwin
- The University of Montana, Missoula, President Seth Bodnar
- The University of Montana Western, Dillon, Chancellor Michael Reid
OUR PROGRAMS, INITIATIVES, AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
- MCNCE VISTA Program
- College Coaches AmeriCorps Program
- Centering Indigenous Knowledge webinar series
- Community Building Institute
- George M. Dennison Civic Engagement Scholarship
- Montana Athletes In Service Award
- Student Volunteer Award
- Youth Serve Montana Scholarship
- The Western Region Continuums of Service Conference