10th Anniversary NoMore Violence Week
April 8-12, 2024
What Is NoMore Violence Week?
NoMore Violence was founded in 2015 by Dr. Cherie McKeever and students at Great Falls College-MSU in response to an increased recognition of violence against children and in families in our community. A week of awareness events was their coordinated response to "do something" positive. These initial efforts have grown into a tremendous legacy of what is now known as NoMore Violence Week. Today, NoMoreViolence Week occurs during the month of April in Great Falls, Montana, and includes a full week of free training, awareness building activities, and community events for all ages. Through partnersips with more than 20 community organizations, this week addresses challenging topics - child abuse, intimate partner violence, family violence, trauma, human trafficking, missing and murdered indigenous people, addiction, suicide, mental health, isolation and more - in a spirit of collaboration, partnership, growth, hope and unity.
NoMore Violence Week 2024
NoMore Violence Week 2024 is offered entirely FREE to the public. The Friday evening Threads of Connection celebration is child and family friendly! All events will be offered in-person, with many also offering a link for those who pre-register and prefer to join via Zoom. Thank you to our incredible partners and sponsors for making this year possible!
NEW THIS YEAR! For those requesting Certificates of Attendance, please email a request to [email protected] by April 5th, 2024 with the subject line of NMVW Certificate. In the body of the email, including your name and contact information.
Partnership With The Statewide Child Abuse And Neglect Conference (CAN Conference)
We are excited to be partnering with the statewide annual Child Abuse and Neglect (CAN) Conference as part of NoMore Violence Week this year. The theme for the 2024 CAN Conference is Igniting Hope, Building Community and will be simultaneously held April 9th-11th, 2024 right here in Great Falls! There is a variety of national and statewide training specific to violence prevention available through this collaboration, including sessions with Adam Dodge of EndTAB, Carla Ritz of The Montana Institute and Dr. Kathryn Wells, MD, Executive Director of The Kempe Center.
Please register in advance HERE for any training you would like to attend as part of the CAN Conference/NoMore Violence collaborative offerings. Zoom offerings are available for events held in the main session room during the CAN Conference with advance registration. Registration fees for those who know of NoMore Violence Week will be waived. Contact us at [email protected] if you have specific questions about that registration process.
Monday, April 8th, 2024
Vision and Embodiment Meditation Workshop
1:00 - 2:30pm, Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art (1400 1st Avenue North, 59401)
A Week of Wellness at the Square! As part of NoMore Violence Week, Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art will be hosting a series of wellness activities. All events are FREE but
registration is required and space is limited. The first event will launch NoMore Violence Week with the Mindful Monday Vision and Embodiment Meditation Workshop, facilitated by Dana DelGuerra, MSC, LCPC, RYT, ATR. Thank you to Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art for sponsoring this event!
Tuesday, April 9th, 2024
Opening Session, Keynote and Breakout Sessions with the CAN Conference
11:00am-5:00pm, Heritage Inn (1700 Fox Farm Rd, 59404)
Visit the CAN Conference website for a full schedule of the day and options to
register
HERE. The keynote speaker for the day is Carla Ritz of
The Montana Institute. A Zoom option is available for the keynote with advanced registration.
Tuesday, April 9th, 2024
No Small Matter: Launch of an Early Childhood Campaign in Montana
6:00-8:00pm, Heritage Inn (1700 Fox Farm Rd, 59404)
Join community members and experts in the field of early childhood for the launch of a community wide campaign promoting Early Childhood. This event will feature a viewing of
No Small Matter, the first feature documentary built from stories of real children, families, and teachers, which illustrates the impact of high-quality early childhood experiences.
We meet parents who are struggling to do their best for their kids, incredible teachers who model what early childhood classrooms should and could be like, and children learning and developing in real time. The film is also firmly grounded in science, opening up the “black box” of what’s happening inside children’s brains with exciting, stimulating animation and the voices of compelling scientists, physicians, and ECE experts. Drawing on the work of economists such as James Heckman, and the latest research in brain imaging and child development, it breaks down complicated scientific details into layman’s terms, demystifying prevailing ideas that hinder our thinking about children’s behavior, and paving the way for us all to see what children truly need to thrive. The viewing will be followed with a panel conversation with experts in the field of early childhood to discuss next steps to support young children.
Wednesday, April 10th, 2024
The Healing Power of the Pen
10:30am-12:30pm, Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art (1400 1st Avenue North, 59401)
A Week of Wellness at the Square! As part of NoMore Violence Week, Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art will be hosting a series of wellness activities.
All events are FREE but
registration is required and space is limited. The Wednesday Writing Workshop features Tiffany Sweeney exploring the power of the pen in multiple ways using guided writing activities. Thank you to Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art for sponsoring this event!
Wednesday, April 10th, 2024
Keynote and Breakout Sessions with the CAN Conference
8:30am-5:00pm, Heritage Inn (1700 Fox Farm Rd, 59404)
Visit the CAN Conference website for a full schedule of the day and options to
register HERE. The keynote speaker for the day is Adam Dodge of
EndTAB, a nationally recognized agency working to end cyber-enabled violence and abuse. A Zoom option is available for the keynote with advanced registration.
Wednesday, April 10th, 2024
Crime Prevention through Environmental Design
12:00 - 1:30pm, NeighborWorks Great Falls (509 1st Ave S, 59401)
Creating safe spaces where people feel secure is good for business and for Great Falls. Join Brock Cherry, Planning and Community Development Director, for an up-to-date and informative presentation about the prevention of crime through environmental design. This will be a highly engaging presentation for business owners, employers and employees geared towards looking at space and environment as it relates to safety. Thank you to the Downtown Safety Alliance for partnering to host this event!
Wednesday, April 10th, 2024
Building Hope and Resilience in Violence Prevention: Partnering with the Arts
5:30pm-7:30pm, Heritage Inn (1700 Fox Farm Rd, 59404)
Join Alyssa Roggow and members of the acclaimed Cascade Quartet and Chinook Winds for an evening of music, socializing and engagement in a Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) experience. Violist Alyssa Roggow uses visual art, music, literature, conversation and reflection to explore how we see, hear and understand our own experiences and feelings. This will be a beautiful experience for providers, parents, adolescents and community members.
Alyssa Roggow is a classical musician, writer, and multifaceted educator. As a certified Master Naturalist and a trained VTS facilitator, she can often be found incorporating her passions for the arts and the outdoors into interdisciplinary workshops for learners of all ages in venues such as Glacier National Park, Sculpture in the Wild, and the Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art. Her writing has been published in the Montana Naturalist magazine, on Montana Public Radio, and as the text of a song cycle by composer Grant Harville. Alyssa is a violist and avid chamber musician, and performs throughout the U.S. Prior to setting out on her own career path, she earned a Master of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music and was principal violist of the Cascade String Quartet and Great Falls Symphony for five years.
This event will host a social time with hors d’oeuvres from 5:30-6:00 and music performed by members of the Cascade Quartet and Chinook Winds, followed by the VTS experience beginning at 6:00pm. This concert is funded in part by the Montana Arts Council, an agency of the State Government, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Thursday, April 11th, 2024
Keynote and Breakout Sessions with the CAN Conference
8:30am-12:00noon, Heritage Inn (1700 Fox Farm Rd, 59404)
Visit the CAN Conference website for a full schedule of the day and options to
register HERE. The closing note speaker for the day is Dr. Kathryn Wells, Executive Director of
The Kempe Center and a nationally recognized expert in the field of addiction and child abuse prevention. A Zoom option is available for the keynote with advanced registration.
Thursday, April 11th, 2024
Somatic Movement Workshop
2:00-3:15pm, Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art (1400 1st Avenue North, 59401)
A Week of Wellness at the Square! As part of NoMore Violence Week, Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art will be hosting a series of wellness activities.
All events are FREE but
registration is required and space is limited. Come join the Thursday afternoon workshop with Soul Motion embodied leader, Julia Becker, for a slow movement exploration that joins yoga with dance.
Thursday, April 11th, 2024
Sextortion in 2024: What Everyone Needs to Know
6:00-7:30pm, Heritage Hall, Great Falls College-MSU (2100 16th Avenue South, 59405)
Come participate in an educational session on a topic we likely all can benefit from knowing more about for the good of our children and youth - SEXTORTION. Brian Cassidy is currently assigned by the Montana Attorney General to the Computer and Internet crime Unit. This unit investigates child crimes and is specifically responsible for conducting federal and state investigations relating to crimes involving digital devices being used in relation to the crime, including investigations related to online child exploitation. Cassidy, currently serving as the ICAC commander for the State of Montana, will provide a highly informative evening defining what sextortion is, as well as facts, statistics and guidance on ways to prevent and address sextortion in our day.
Youth 12 and older are invited to attend with a parent or guardian. If you need to attend this event via Zoom, please register HERE.
Of note, this session will be held in Heritage Hall at Great Falls College-MSU, the location where NoMore Violence began 10 years ago.
Friday, April 12th, 2024
Vision and Embodiment Meditation Workshop
12:00 - 1:30pm, Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art (1400 1st Avenue North, 59401)
A Week of Wellness at the Square! As part of NoMore Violence Week, Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art will be hosting a series of wellness activities.
All events are FREE but
registration is required and space is limited. The final workshop during NoMore Violence Week ends with a Vision and Embodiment Meditation Workshop facilitated by Dana DelGuerra, MSC, LCPC, RYT, ATR. Thank you to Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art for sponsoring this event!
Friday, April 12th, 2024
Threads of Connection & NoMore Violence Week Concluding Celebration
5:30-7:00pm, Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art (1400 1st Avenue North, 59401)
This family friendly reception is open to all ages and community members. Come join in the final celebration of the 10th anniversary of NoMore Violence Week, as well as the display of literally hundreds of quilt squares created by community members of all ages over the past two years displaying their response to "no more violence." Thank you to the local Quilters Guild for their support in creating the quilts that will be on display at the Square.
