Grant Information:
The Montana Tobacco Use Prevention Program provides funds to the OPI to provide grants to Montana schools for implementing strategies to reduce youth tobacco use. Grant recipients will be awarded up to $10,000 per school or up to $20,000 per school district to support student tobacco use prevention strategies. While the grant does state a district can apply for up to $20,000, the purpose for establishing this threshold is to accommodate for larger districts who have more than one school to address with grant funding.
About Vape Detectors: Purchasing Vape Detectors was allowed in previous grant cycles, with the desired goal being to prevent/reduce student vaping in schools. Until we have a better understanding about the efficacy of these sensors, we're eliminating vape detectors as an allowable grant expense this year. In the meantime, we're working to gather data from schools currently utilizing them.
If your district has installed vape detectors and you haven't previously responded, please respond to these questions.
Potential Prevention Strategies: (Certainly not an exclusive list) For links to these resources click HERE.
Educational Programs:
- INDEPTH - a facilitated course from the American Lung Association
- Healthy Futures - an online course from the Stanford Tobacco Prevention Toolkit
- Vaping:Know the Truth - an online course from the Truth Initiative
Student Problem Solving/Support Groups/Agreements
Peer Mentoring
School/Community Service Project
Cessation Resource Referrals: My Life, My Quit, This is Quitting, Not On Tobacco are examples
Quit Clubs
Tier I/Schoolwide Prevention Strategies
Health Curriculum - Supplemental Support
Poster/Composition Contests relative to Tobacco Use Prevention
Student Centered Media Campaign
Youth Prevention Groups/Clubs like ReACT
Guest Speakers/Presenters
This grant application period opens 12:01 a.m. Monday March 3, 2025 and will close at 11:59 p.m. Friday April, 18, 2025.
Grant recipients will be required to submit a midyear report by January 23, 2026 and a final report by July 11, 2026. Links to these documents will provided in award letters.
Please note: All applications must be submitted using the link on this webpage. Longer narratives may be copied and pasted into the form using the cut and paste feature from your original document.
Completed applications will be scored according to:
- School/District Need - Based on 2021 and 2023 YRBS data, student discipline referrals around tobacco use and application narrative.
- Inclusion of Restorative Discipline Practices - These links may be helpful: Addressing Tobacco Use in Montana Schools with Restorative Practices and Restorative Practice Resources.
- Prospect of Success - Based on well thought out procedures and ease of implementation.
- Sustainability - District intent to continue and/or adapt to improve their tobacco use prevention program.
- Alternatives to Suspension - Out of School Suspension will not be utilized for a primary tobacco/vaping related disciplinary action.
- Budget Proposal - A thorough description of how funds will be allocated.
We anticipate this grant to be very competitive this year; we recommend applicants submit complete and thorough responses.
For inquiries about the application process contact Beth Dominicis, Beth.Dominicis@mt.gov
Update: We hope to be able to notify successful applicants by Friday May 16, 2025.