Alice Boyer is Taking the Long View with Forward Montana

To me, I think power-building is a lot about trust-building.

Forward Montana is the state’s largest youth-led and youth-driven civic engagement organization, going strong for over two decades. The group works under the belief that when young people are civically engaged and young leaders reflect the diversity of the state, Montanans are more likely to become lifetime voters. 

Through its Civics Under the Big Sky program and High School Organizing Fellowships, Forward Montana educates and engages young people starting before they can vote. Then its members are there in communities and on campuses when it’s time for those young people (and anyone else!) to register.

Through it all, Forward Montana is focused on inclusion, striving to create spaces where BIPOC and LGBTQ+ Montanans, as well as people with disabilities, feel included and empowered to participate.

We sat down with Alice Boyer, who became Executive Director in June, about what it means to build power among Montana’s youth in 2025. 

How do you define “power-building” and what groups is Forward Montana focused on building power with?

We really focus on building power with, for, by young people and we define young people as 14 to 35. We have a program called Civics Under the Big Sky that focuses on civic education with high school students. Before people are even able to vote, we’re having conversations about what it looks like to engage civically.

In terms of the building power question, I think that this is something that movement spaces are rethinking a lot right now. To me, I think power-building is a lot about trust-building. We see across the board with young people this hesitancy to engage because we have just seen promises be made that aren’t followed through on or that can’t actually be achieved. I think that is the first step in power building, is building that trust back, to show that Forward Montana is here to fight for policy changes that are going to positively impact young folks in Montana so that people actually see and feel that it is worth their limited time and energy to get involved in these fights. Because one, they’re important. They will actually have a positive impact on their lives, make it easier or more affordable for them to stay in Montana. But also, see that they’re actually winnable fights, and that you can actually make a difference in that way.

How does Forward Montana ensure inclusion in power-building?

Forward Montana is very committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in our work. Externally it looks like really trying to prioritize and over sample in some way with marginalized communities who are not typically prioritized in Montana. So we do a lot of outreach to communities of color and also queer communities, and really make an effort to work on issues that those communities care about and are impacted by.

During the legislative session, for example, Forward Montana does a lot of organizing around LGBTQ bills and issues. And while that is really hard work, it’s also just so incredibly important to show young queer people in this state that, even when elected officials are actively attacking their humanity and existence, there are so many people in the state that do care and support them.

Another piece that we are starting to really wrestle with is how do we make sure that we are building and expanding allyship amongst people who do not fall into those populations with those identities? We are still very much wrestling with that issue, and it also feels more important than ever in a lot of ways to tackle that.

How do your Tribal affiliations and cultures inform your approach at Forward Montana?

So many people have said this over the years – when you’re born Native, you’re born into a political identity in some ways. And so you don’t really get the option whether or not to engage politically. My dad was Métis from Canada and my mom is Blackfeet and Little Shell. My great-great-great-great grandpa on my dad’s side fought at the Battle of Batoche in Canada, which was a Métis uprising against the Canadian government. And my mom’s family has fought for the Little Shell Tribe to gain federal recognition in the U.S. for decades. There is so much political history, even just within my small family background. 

I think a lot of those traditions, again, for many marginalized communities, are rooted in: What are you doing now in order to fight for people down the line? Which feels really important to me, as well, and I think is a lot of the way that I approach this work and will continue to approach this work through Forward Montana is – yes, we are of course fighting for things that will better the lives of young people right now, but also what does it look like to fight for and organize for a future that will also be better for the young people three or four or five or six or seven generations from now? I think those are ways of thinking that are very much rooted in Native identity.

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We’re honored to support Forward Montana through our new Family Power Fund, which supports nonprofits that develop and engage leaders, drive advocacy for health-focused policies, and amplify stories that reveal health challenges and inspire solutions. Learn more about the group’s work at their website, and don’t forget to follow them on social media (Instagram, Facebook)!

Note: This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.