High school service Location
Montana Blackfeet
Programs
Live on an iconic conservation ranch amidst the rolling hills of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation with a Rocky Mountain backdrop. Engage in diverse volunteer projects as a way to show gratitude to this honorable community for sharing their lives with us. Attend cultural ceremonies, connect with the land, and prepare a powerful experience that will resonate for a lifetime.
- True Immersion, Cultural Events & Ceremonies
- Glacier National Park, Swimming Holes & Scenic Hikes
- Carpentry, Conservation, Animal Care & Social Services
Program dates
Montana Blackfeet 1
Dates
June 17 - July 1
Length
15 Days
Service hours
50 - 60
Tuition
$5,190
Montana Blackfeet 2
Dates
July 6 - July 22
Length
17 Days
Service hours
60 - 70
Tuition
$5,590
Montana Blackfeet 1
Dates
June 17 - July 1
Length
15 Days
Service hours
50 - 60
Tuition
$5,190
Montana Blackfeet 2
Dates
July 6 - July 22
Length
17 Days
Service hours
60 - 70
Tuition
$5,590
We were like one big family. I did new things, made new friends, learned about myself, and had so much fun. I have grown a lot and I brought that home with me.
Connect deeply
Living and working with Blackfeet tribal members offers unforgettable insights into the generosity, wisdom and 10,000 year-old culture of the Plains Indians.
friends become family
Your experience is enriched by more than three decades of partnerships that VISIONS teens have forged before your arrival. You’ll spend time with tribal members who welcome you to their ancestral lands, where respect for cultural practices is an inherent part of each day. The atmosphere is family-like—whether at project sites, fun excursions, or community events.
EXPLORE ADVENTUROUSLY
Under a famously big sky, Montana provides an awesome launching point for adventurous fun.
Going beyond
With one of the most spectacular wilderness areas in our backyard, we hike scenic trails, swim in fresh waters, camp under the stars, and try an introductory rock climb in true Montana style. There are also frequent opportunities to immerse in Plains Indians culture: learn traditional crafts, spend time with tribal members who are historians and healers, set up teepees for sacred ceremonies, and experience dancers in regalia, drum circles, and the resilience of tradition.
Activities & excursions
- Take Scenic Hikes & Swim in Mountain Streams
- Camp Under Thousands of Stars
- Attend Sacred Ceremonies
- Horseback Ride (long session)
- Visit Historic Sites & Museum of the Plains Indian
- Rock Climb with Professional Guides
I loved getting out of my city lifestyle and living a simpler life that was more carefree.
Julianna Ross
WORK HARD
Service matters
With the highest percentage of Americans living below the poverty line, Indian reservations often lack adequate infrastructure and resources. Our work helps meet these pressing needs. Teen volunteers use power and hand tools to build wheelchair ramps and other structures. We provide meals through the Child Nutrition Program, take on environmental initiatives, help prepare for ceremonies, and foster and care for puppies who live on the ranch with us.
The community service was incredibly rewarding. We personally interacted with those who would benefit from the work and I’m so glad that I was able to contribute.
Reviews
“I loved my time with VISIONS and feel as though I am a much better person for having done it! I admired all the leaders and made such sweet friendships in Montana that I know I will never forget. I will cherish my time there and I feel lucky to have been a part of such a wonderful experience.”
CHARLOTTE L.
“This trip was very life shaping for me and in all honesty I wanted to stay and never leave. The memories I made with the students & the leaders will forever be in my heart. Everyday I wish I could go back. I didn’t know how much I needed an experience like this, to get away, meet new people, as-well as helping people and all while adventuring in an unfamiliar place. The service work made me feel proud to have helped members of the community we were in.”
ASHLEY C.
“Thank you so much for your mentorship, leadership, and allowing me the opportunity to grow so much through the VISIONS program. I can’t thank you enough for the impact you have had on my life, the growth I had and lessons I learned through the Blackfeet and through your program.”
TORIN Y.
Local spotlight
where you’ll live in montana
Local spotlight
where you’ll live in montana
Our homebase is the Yellow Bird Woman Sanctuary, a conservation ranch owned by the Blackfeet Indian Land Trust, just outside the reservation town of Browning. Glacier National Park dominates the horizon, and we are mindful of our role as stewards of the ranch’s rare ecosystem, which includes one of the few glacial fen wetlands in the country.
Accommodations are basic but comfortable, and we actively minimize our impact. VISIONS was originally invited to live at the ranch by Elouise Cobell, a modern warrior for Indigenous justice whose legacy continues to inspire. Read more about our Blackfeet home away from home.
Local team spotlight
Elouise Cobell
Elouise Cobell, also known by her Blackfeet name Yellow Bird Woman, left an indelible impact on Native communities across the United States. President Obama called her, “a Champion of Native American rights,” and her legacy continues to ground VISIONS in the land, history, and community of the Blackfeet Nation in profound ways.
Elouise co-founded the first national bank on a reservation owned by a Native American tribe, earned a MacArthur Genius Award for advancing Native financial literacy, and most famously became the lead plaintiff in a landmark lawsuit against the federal government. Filed in 1996, Cobell v. Salazar exposed a century of financial mismanagement of Indian funds. The case spanned three presidencies and was finally settled in 2009 for $3.4 billion. The settlement created a scholarship fund for Native students and returned land to tribal ownership. In 2016, Elouise was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Each summer Elouise met with VISIONS students, who were riveted by hearing her account of Blackfeet struggles and the throughline to the injustices that were surfaced by the case. We were honored to hear about the Cobell case directly from Elouise, who brought clarity to complex and century-old issues.
It was Elouise who facilitated VISIONS living on the 1100-acre conservation ranch that is owned by the Blackfeet Indian Land Trust, another organization that she helped establish. After her passing in 2011, the ranch was renamed the Yellow Bird Woman Sanctuary. Her spirit, friends and family remain a vital part of our program, connecting each generation of VISIONS teens to a story of justice, community and tradition.
To learn more about Elouise, read an article by our Executive Director and check out the documentary, 100 Years.
Related blog posts
Animal Welfare, Environmental Integrity & What We Eat on VISIONS Programs
VISIONS is taking a careful look at the food we serve during our community service programs for high school students, and we aim to reduce our dependence on factory farm-based animal products by 75%.
Reviews, Testimonials & Love Letters from Alumni
VISIONS teen summer programs have earned top reviews from students, parents, and even community members, reflecting years of meaningful experiences and positive impact.
What is your VIA?
What is your VIA? At VISIONS, VIA means Vision, Impact, Action—helping teens discover their purpose, make a difference, and create lasting change through service.
You’ve Been Adopted!
Animal welfare is an important aspect of VISIONS volunteer opportunities for high schoolers. On the Montana Blackfeet Indian Reservation, teens help foster these wonderful puppies and sometimes adopt them, bringing them to their new forever home!