KALISPELL — Community Action Partnership of Northwest Montana is a nonprofit based out of Kalispell that provides social services to help improve lives and strengthen communities.
A new program called “Teen Solutions” offers teenagers in the Flathead a safe after-school space to learn and grow.
“Wanting help with schoolwork or learning how to deal with anxiety and social stresses that come along with just being a young adult,” said Community Action Partnership of Northwest Montana Community Coordinator Niusha Wynstone.
Teenagers in the Flathead Valley will have the opportunity to join a program aimed at mentoring and supporting teens as they learn life skills and make short- and long-term goals.
“We noticed in the community that we have a lot of teens that just need that extra support, they’re dealing with stress at home, stress at school, trying to figure out their life goals and their life plans, it could be something as simple as what job am I going to have next summer and I need help figuring that out," Wynstone told MTN.
Wynstone said the program will start on January 13, 2025, for teens aged 13-to-17, and will run in six-week sessions after school from 3:30 to 5 p.m.
The program is completely free for all participants with a maximum of 12 teenagers in each session.
“Mainly because we know cost can be a barrier and we don’t want that to hinder someone from participating.”
Wynstone said mentors will be tailoring needs and lessons to each individual teenager.
“So, if we have older teens that might want to learn how to do basic budgeting or balance a checkbook, that could be part of it or maintain their car or do an oil change we could help bring in folks from the community that will help them learn those skills.”
Wynstone said the program is a great way for teenagers to connect with their peers.
“We don’t want teens to feel like they’re being talked to, they have enough of that in their lives already, we want them to feel connected, to feel like they have belonging, and to really feel like they have an extra source of support.”
Teenagers can self-enroll or parents can enroll their teens into "Teens Solutions" online.
