Paris Gibson Celebrates Graduation

Guy Afflack leads the winter graduates of the Paris Gibson Education Center through a line of faculty and parents welcoming them into the commencement ceremony Tuesday night at the school. TRIBUNE PHOTO/RYAN HALLParis Gibson Education Center provided our community another fine group of graduating seniors. When I served on the school board I was honored to attend graduation ceremonies of all three of our local high schools, but the ones held at Paris Gibson were particularly special.

As an alternative high school, Paris Gibson's classes are small, and that makes the ceremonies more personal and the stories more poignant. Read this story for an insight into last night's celebration.

Great Falls Tribune Story

Paris Gibson High School Website

University of Great Falls Hosts Martin Luther King Jr. Day Event

The University of Great Falls, in concert with Reverend Phillip Caldwell & Reverend Jim Peterson, will host a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event this morning at 9:55am at the Trinitas Bell Tower. The observance will include Reverend Peterson as guest speaker and a performance by the Malmstrom Men's Ensemble joined by the UGF Choir.

Tied to this celebration of Reverend King's life, UGF students have donated more than $1,400 of their meal plan money to buy school supplies for the Cascade County Boys and Girls Club. My own experience with the students of UGF is quite similar. When Special Olympics of Montana held a recent event at UGF, the students came out in force to support the athletes in attendance. UGF, and its student body, are well known for their support of our community. Learn more about the University at this link.

Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center 20th Anniversary

A lot has happened in the last 20 years that this valuable community asset has existed. Partnering with the US Forest Service, this is THE place on the historic Lewis & Clark Trail to learn about these intrepid explorers. Plan to spend at least a few hours exploring the exhibits, it will be well worth your time. Learn more about the center at www.lewisandclarkfoundation.org.

Great Falls Public Schools Foundation Discovery Grants

The Great Falls Public Schools Foundation announced their first Discovery Grant awards yesterday. I serve on the foundation board, and was involved in getting the foundation established during my term on the school board. It is great to see such great success over a realtively short period of time. Upwards of $500,000 in pledges and commitments have been received so far, and the Discovery Grants are just the beginning of seeing this money used for education projects in our community. The Great Falls Tribune article can be read here.

Special Olympics Basketball

Our community just finished hosting the first of a three year committment to the state Special Olympics Basketball tournament. I was proud to serve as the leader of the Games Management Team, a group of local business leaders (see below) that spearheaded the effort to bring this wonderful experience to our city.

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