You Can't Create What You Can't Imagine: Montana Kids and the American Dream | Alani Bankhead

Original air date: August 21, 2026 From the MSU STEM Summer Institute in Bozeman: Alani Bankhead on shrinking enrollment, teachers priced out of housing, and bringing educators to the table. A lot of our youth don’t see the American Dream as a possibility for them. Opening young Montanans’ eyes to what’s possible is, in my mind, the most important thing we can do - you can’t create what you can’t imagine. A U.S. Senator’s job is to connect Montanans to opportunity and clear the obstacles in their way. Government isn’t about handing out jobs or checks, simply a means to give our young people a chance at the life they want. What are some of the obstacles our education community is facing right now? Great Falls is projected to lose 2,000 kids in the next five years simply because people aren’t having children in this state. And practically, that shouldn’t be an issue because that’s a personal choice for those families, but it also affects funding for those schools. Additionally, housing is an issue. In St. Regis, they haven’t had a math teacher in two years because they hire qualified educators, but they back out because they can’t afford a house anywhere near their district. When I talk about bringing Montanan values back to the US Senate, I’m talking about bringing educators and parents to the table - people with first-hand knowledge of the students they shape - and listening to their needs, then cutting through the bureaucratic red tape and getting the funding. Ultimately, what we’ve heard across multiple counties in Montana is: “Tell DC to stop telling us what to do and how to do it”. Montanans know what Montanans need. My job is to work with legislators on the local level to ensure each region gets the resources they need specifically for them, whether it’s a tribal school system or rural school districts. As your next U.S. Senator, I’m ready to work to ensure every Montana kid can see a future here and have a fair shot at reaching it. [MSU STEM Summer Institute · Bozeman · 8.3.2026] More: https://alaniformt.com/youth Volunteer: https://alaniformt.com/get-involved Donate: https://alaniformt.com/donate #Montana #MTSen #AlaniBankhead Paid for by Friends of Alani Bankhead.