The HEART Initiative

04/03/2025

Another opportunity we are co-sponsoring is coming up this Tuesday, April 8th, that involves a lecture and book signing with Cynthia Bejarano. Hope to see you there!

04/03/2025

We are extremely thankful for everyone who attended our event last night ++ a huge shoutout to all who were able to make this event possible. It was a great success and a true honor to learn so much to learn about human trafficking in Montana from someone like Andrew Yedinak, who has first-hand experience on fighting such an important cause everyday.

03/13/2025

We have some exciting news to share! Above, you will see the details of our upcoming event on April 1st, where Supervisory Agent Andrew Yedinak will come to MSU to speak about human trafficking in Montana.

03/12/2025

A couple of weeks ago, HEART Initiative’s current President, Isabel James, had the amazing opportunity to testify as a proponent for Senate Bill No. 45 at the state capitol in Helena. Here we share a little from Isabel’s experience: “Being able to testify as a proponent for Senate Bill No. 245 as a representative of HEART was a surreal experience. Everyone who testified in favor of the bill spoke with such a passion against human trafficking. It renewed my hope that we are making a difference against this crime. Some days, it may feel like such a vast crisis, but with more initiatives like this, we come closer and closer to freeing people across the globe. If you ever have the opportunity to become involved in your local government’s stance on human trafficking, I urge you to join the fight and speak up for those who can’t. I can’t wait to see where this bill goes and the next step for HEART.”

More information on Senate Bill No. 45
If passed, Senate Bill No. 245 would require all school bus drivers in the state of Montana to complete a human trafficking recognition training course. This is critical to preventing child trafficking in Montana because bus drivers are the link between school and children’s home lives. They play a key role in recognizing the signs and changes that may occur at home when a child is being trafficked.

01/11/2025

January is

This month we’ll be taking extra time to educate ourselves and others about this critical human rights issue

11/29/2024

It’s another and today we’re highlighting Lexi!

“Hi, my name is Lexi! I’m a sophomore studying Human Development and Family Science. I plan to be a social worker or addiction counselor in rural Montana. I’m part of the HEART Initiative to gain knowledge regarding human trafficking since I am bound to encounter it in my future career.“

11/14/2024

Thank you to everyone who attended our event on Tuesday evening! It was a huge success, and we learned so much about approaching human trafficking from a victim-centered approach.

11/13/2024

The College of Letters and Science Senators are hosting a Rise & Reclaim event next Monday from 5:30-7pm in SUB 235. Go learn more about mental health and sexual assault survivors!

11/09/2024

‼️EVENT REMINDER‼️

This Tuesday,Nov. 12th, we will be hosting a panel discussion on the community’s role in fighting human trafficking! Please join us at 6:30 p.m. in the Procrastinator Theater to learn more! We can’t wait to see you all there!

11/01/2024

with our Vice President and Social Media Manager Bella James!

“I joined The HEART Initiative freshman year, and I am currently a junior majoring in Sociology-Criminology with a minor in Political Science. I plan on going to law school after graduating, and my end goal is to work with human trafficking survivors. Human trafficking is a huge issue in modern society, and I’ve loved helping educate my peers on this difficult topic.”

10/31/2024

UPCOMING EVENT‼️

Please join us November 12th for a panel event discussing some root causes or trafficking and barriers in getting resources to victims. See you there😊

09/06/2024