GREAT FALLS 鈥� Students from At 黑料网911 and Helena College will come together Friday, April 17, for Currents of Connection, a cross鈥慶ampus communication symposium designed to highlight the power of storytelling and the role meaningful discourse plays in building stronger communities.
The event will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. in Heritage Hall on the At 黑料网911 campus. Six student speakers will share five鈥憁inute narrative speeches with a community audience and a panel of three community judges will award cash prizes to the top speakers.
鈥淚 am excited for Helena College and At 黑料网911 students to share their stories with one another and the broader community. This is an incredible opportunity for students to showcase their communication skills and highlight how meaningful discourse can foster empathy, understanding and connection in our communities,鈥� said Helena College communications instructor Veronica Mohrmann.
At 黑料网911 communications instructor Dr. Amy Pearson said the symposium reflects the shared commitment of both colleges to helping students grow as confident, thoughtful communicators.
鈥淪torytelling invites us to listen deeply and see the world through someone else鈥檚 eyes. Our students work hard to develop their voices, and this event gives them a chance to use those voices in ways that strengthen understanding across our community,鈥� Pearson said.
Local Toastmasters from the Electric City Noon Toastmasters will act as judges with keynote speaker Jordan Lankford-Forster (Bright Trail Woman)
Keynote Speaker: Jordann Lankford鈥慒orster (Bright Trail Woman)
Lankford鈥慒orster, an A鈥檃niiih and Anishinaabe educator whose work centers on building cultural understanding and strengthening connections across communities, brings a wealth of experience as the keynote speaker. Lankford, whose A鈥檃niiih name is Bright Trail Woman, serves as an Indigenous Education for All instructional coach and teacher for Great Falls Public Schools, where her leadership has helped make American Indian Studies one of the most engaging and sought鈥慳fter subjects at Paris Gibson Education Center.
鈥淛ordann鈥檚 work reminds us that connection is built through truth, culture and courageous storytelling,鈥� Pearson said. 鈥淗er leadership shows how understanding our histories can strengthen the ties that hold our communities together. We鈥檙e honored to have her share that vision with us.鈥�
Lankford鈥慒orster鈥檚 statewide and national impact reflects the symposium鈥檚 theme of connection. She supports educators across Montana in embedding authentic cultural content into their classrooms and serves as chairwoman of the Montana Advisory Council on Indian Education, president of the Potlatch Fund and a Montana representative for the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
Her work has earned significant recognition, including being named Montana Indigenous Teacher of the Year, the 2022 Montana History Teacher of the Year and one of the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development鈥檚 40 Under 40. She is also the first Montanan selected as a Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes fellow.
Lankford-Forster is co-facilitator for Bright Trail Education, which presents around the state and across the United States.
The symposium is free to attend.