DAY 1

Okii! (Blackfeet for Hello!) VISIONS leaders will be there to greet you upon your arrival at Glacier Park International Airport. After a quick call home, we’ll embark on a breathtaking two-hour journey along the scenic landscapes of Glacier National Park.

Our final stop is the Yellow Bird Woman Conservation Ranch, your home away from home on the Blackfeet Nation. Settle in and gather under Montana’s expansive sky as we kick off the journey ahead.

DAY 2

After a hearty breakfast, we’ll divide into groups for carpentry training and other community service projects, laying the groundwork to make a meaningful impact during your time on the Blackfeet Reservation.

Once the worksites wrap up, we’ll head out to explore the reservation town of Browning, visit Blackfeet Community College, and uncover local landmarks during a group scavenger hunt. Later, we’ll watch 100 Years, a documentary highlighting Elouise Cobell, one of the most influential Indigenous leaders of our time. In addition to her landmark fight for justice that reached the Supreme Court, Elouise founded the conservation ranch that now serves as your home during the program.

DAYS 3 – 6

Discover a sense of purpose as you select your project site each day—you could be constructing wheelchair ramps, working on trails and caring for foster puppies, or serving meals through the Child Nutrition program. One day each week, you’ll join the “homebase crew,” helping to prepare breakfast, shop for upcoming meals, and maintain our shared living space.

After the service projects wind down around 2 pm, we dive into cultural and adventurous activities, such as horseback riding near Glacier Park, swimming in crystal-clear mountain streams and lakes, or learning from historians at the Museum of the Plains Indians. You’ll also have the chance to work with local artisans on traditional crafts, like creating buckskin satchels.

Read more about what daily life is like on VISIONS programs.

DAY 7

Learn about wilderness ethics, responsible recreation and the Leave No Trace principles. Then put it all to practice as we take an introductory-level hike through alpine landscapes to a stunning view of the miistákisti (mountains) before setting up camp in Glacier National Park. 

After dinner and a campfire, settle in as a dazzling night sky comes to life. Surrounded by beauty above and all around, enjoy this memorable time to connect with the land and deepen friendships with your group.

DAYS 8 – 10

Return to service days and continue making a difference with projects that you’ll be increasingly invested in. One day will also include conservation work with Glacier Volunteers, an organization that connects people to the park through science and service. 

Afternoons and evenings remain full of exciting options, from outdoor adventures and browsing souvenirs at the Blackfeet Trading Post to learning beading and enjoying time with your VISIONS friends. You’ll also have opportunities to connect with Blackfeet community members and attend Native America Speaks, where you’ll experience Indigenous wisdom, humor, and history firsthand.

DAYS 11 – 12

For several days, one of the worksite options includes the opportunity to assist in setting up ceremonial grounds and a Sundance lodge. We are then invited to attend parts of this most sacred of Blackfeet ceremonies, where dancers fast for several days while offering up prayers for their families, and drumming lasts through the days. 

Being part of a Sundance is an honor that leaves a lasting impression of respect and reverence for this time-honored tradition of the Blackfeet people. 

Other activities at the VISIONS ranch continue and there are always a number of outings and options throughout the days of the program.

DAY 13

After enjoying our last night together at the ranch and saying goodbye to local friends, we head off to Stillwater Canyon to test our minds and muscles, led by expert guides for a few hours of fun rock climbing. Step out of your comfort zone, Iiyika’kimaat (the Blackfeet word for trying hard), and discover the many lessons climbing has to teach us about teamwork and our own potential.

Afterwards, swim at Whitefish Lake, share pizza with your friends and enjoy locally made ice cream before camping out on the land of a former director of the VISIONS Blackfeet program.

DAY 14

As the leader team sends you off at the airport, say your goodbyes, get contact information from your pals and reflect on everything you’ve learned and accomplished together. 

Return home to family and friends with a new perspective, a heart full of memories, and the knowledge that you can apply what you’ve learned to your own hometown, equipped for further service by rich experience and many new skills!