‘A Home Away From Home’: How Pete MacFadyen’s Big Sky Youth Empowerment Is Saving Montana’s Teens

When Pete MacFadyen worried that a few hourly sessions in his counseling office weren’t enough to change a troubled teen’s life, he wondered if the scenic Montana outdoors might hold the key to inner growth — and he was right! Here, he shares his story with Woman’s World.

“Same time next week?” Pete MacFadyen asked a teenage boy at the end of their session. But as the Bozeman, Montana, licensed counselor returned to his desk, a nagging thought followed him.

Am I really helping the kids? Any of them? he wondered.

Pete counseled both teens and adults. The adults, he felt, had lived long enough to be motivated to change. But most of the kids didn’t even want to be there. Many had rough home lives and toxic friendships. For them, the process of change was very slow and scary.

Could a single hour a week in my office really make a difference? he thought.

That night, Pete’s thoughts reeled back to his first job with a Pennsylvania wilderness therapy school, where he’d taken groups of 11 at-risk youths on 30-day forest adventure treks. Out in the woods, the teens reflected, discovered new strengths and formed strong friendships. I could make the same magic work here in Montana! Pete hoped.

Life

She’s Legally Blind—and Has Donated 3,000 Quilts to Those in Need

Sonya Smithart, who is legally blind, learned to quilt from a TV program. Now, at 86, she has sewn and donated more than 3,000 quilts to people in need. Here, she shares her story with Woman’s World. Clutching a pad and pencil, Sonya Smithart sat close to her TV as she watched Quilt in a […]

A new mission

Pete filed the paperwork for a new non-profit, Big Sky Youth Empowerment. Then he began setting up fundraising events to pay for equipment, lift tickets and transportation. “I can’t do this alone,” he told prospective donors, and soon several outdoorsmen and women answered the call.

Pete organized the program into two parts. “Tuesdays after school, we’ll have workshops,” he told the first five Big Sky participants — three boys and two girls. “On the weekends, we’ll head outside. We’ll start by learning to snowboard.”

Pete designed a workshop curriculum with sessions about goal setting, communication skills, anger management and emotional regulation. Then Saturdays, it was off to the slopes for snowboarding lessons with donated equipment.

“If you attend all 11 weeks, the clothes and equipment are yours to keep,” Pete said, and the kids cheered.

The program was a huge success. Encouraged, Pete expanded the workshops to include life skills like financial literacy, cooking, resume writing and job interview experience and expanded the fun to include rock climbing, kayaking and mountain biking.

“Getting outside allows us to be put in new situations that help us grow inside. We learn to lean on others,” says one program participant. “Big Sky means community, trust and vulnerability. It also means celebrating each other. It’s like a home away from home.”

Life

She’s Only 11 and She’s Already a Hero to 230 Veterans!

For this little girl, the secret to happiness is doing good deeds everywhere she goes! Here, she shares her story with Woman’s World. Kendelle Reed loves history — and she especially enjoys reading books and watching TV programs about the military. Her uncles Cal and Tim both served, which is why one night, she told […]

Healing with nature

Twenty-five years on, Big Sky Youth Empowerment has grown beyond Pete’s wildest dreams. More than 100 local youths ages 12-19 sign up for each 11- week session, guided by 16 mentors — including several former Big Sky teens.

Pete beams with pride as he talks about the program’s impact. “We’re making a difference,” he says. “My parents taught me the goal in life is to leave the world better than I found it. They said there’s a difference between a career and a calling, and that if you love what you do and it makes a difference in the world, you’re lucky indeed.”