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In Memory of Walker
Much loved and dearly missed, Walker J. Nelson was born in Bozeman and attended Longfellow Elementary, Sacajawea Middle School, and graduated from Bozeman High School in 2022. He died by suicide later that year following a long struggle with depression.
Walker was a son and brother, a grandson, nephew, cousin, and friend. He took an early interest in the arts, and loved riding bikes, playing video games, and staging epic Nerf and airsoft battles. He found solace in reading and enjoyed travel - an upbringing that will feel familiar to many in our community.
Youth Resilience Fund
The Walker J. Nelson Youth Resilience Fund empowers ALL Bozeman students with mental health and resilience support - before the crisis hits.
Why Now
Montana is in the midst of a mental health crisis. The state's youth suicide rate is 3 times the national average and in Bozeman, recent surveys show that nearly 1 in 5 students have seriously considered suicide.
This Fund exists to drive change and empower our students with programs that work - right now.
Where Your Gift Goes
1.
Youth Resilience Project
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This community wide initiative empowers Bozeman's network of coaches, mentors, youth leaders, and trusted adults with resources, training, and a shared framework to build resilience, foster belonging, and reduce stigma around mental health support
2.
Capacity Building
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Expand BSD7 staff capacity to deliver more in-school, student-centered mental health and wellness programming, and to strengthen community engagement
3.
Community Training
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Expert-designed, accessible lay-person training, available on-demand for trusted adults
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Practical sample programming and skill-building exercises that integrate easily into existing practices, rehearsals, meetings, and training schedules
Impact & Goals
Year 1 Impact
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Raised over $35,000 from community gifts
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Participated in the School District's Student Safety and Well-Being Working Group
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Helped shape the School District's goal to reduce anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation to below national averages
Current Campaign
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We are raising $188,000 to focus on investing in a future where every student feels seen, supported, and capable of thriving.
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By expanding mental‑health staffing, launching the Youth Resilience Project in every school, and empowering trusted adults across the community with proven training, we’re building a culture of connection and strength - one that helps every young person rise with confidence and hope.
How Your Gift Helps
$50
Provides in-school, peer ambassador materials
$150
Supports training for one trusted adult (coach, teacher, mentor, youth leader)
$500
Helps fund community events on mental health, resilience, and available resources
$1,000
Funds a Student Ambassador Wellness scholarship at Montana State University
Why We Believe in this Mission
Montana State University Dean of Students
Matthew Caires
I am fortunate to work for Montana State University, a higher education institution that cares about the mental health and wellbeing of our students. And I am committed to bridging the work we’re doing at MSU with our local partners in the Bozeman school district. As a community member and as a father of two young children growing up in Bozeman, this work is deeply personal to me. I am a strong advocate of the Youth Resiliency Program underway through the Bozeman Schools Foundation.
Walker's Father
Erik Nelson
The Youth Resilience Project, through the Bozeman Schools Foundation, is the kind of investment that can truly make a difference in the crisis our youth are facing with mental health. It's an essential upstream effort that bridges the gap—the same gap my child fell into—between compassion and real, preventative support. My hope is this initiative will turn our collective heartbreak into tangible action, ensuring every student can navigate life's challenges not just to survive the storms, but to find the strength to thrive.
Bozeman Children's Theatre Executive Director
Patrick Higgins
We’ve worked with so many students over the years, and watched them grow from our elementary students, to middle schoolers, and now high schoolers. It was a natural step for us to grow with them and add a mental health component to tie in the magic of theatre and what it can do for social and emotional well being. The Youth Resilience Project opened the door for us to start these conversations with our cast and crews.