The Helena Education Foundation and business teachers in the Helena Public Schools are teaming up with local business leaders to offer high school students a series of workshops at the fifth annual Vigilante Academy. Students will have the opportunity to attend three workshops: College Jeopardy, Consumer Bingo and Cyber Savvy.

Vigilante Academy will be held on Thursday, April 29th from 8:20-noon at Capital High and Helena High Schools, the day before the Vigilante Parade.  There will be plenty of snacks between workshops and students will have the chance to win prizes throughout the morning. One lucky student at each high school will even win a laptop computer!

Helena School District teachers and technology experts Kelly Elder and Mike Agostinelli will lead hands-on computer sessions on cyber safety, presenting new information about Twitter and Facebook.  Also presenting information about cyber safety is Detective Bryan Fischer of the Helena Police Department.

Montana Office of Consumer Protection staff members Troy Smith and Michelle Truax stress that the information in their workshops are financial issues they see daily and they will help students understand contracts for cars, cell phones and credit cards in order to prevent many of the problems they encounter.  Ken Pankratz and Clarissa Flies of American Federal Savings Bank will also be presenting workshops on these topics. American Federal Savings Bank is a sponsor of Vigilante Academy as well as the Student Assistance Foundation, who will also be at the high schools presenting workshops on how to make plans for life after high school. 

Students who are interested should sign up soon – the workshops are limited to 150 at each school.  For more information, contact the Helena Education Foundation at 443-2545 or  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or business teachers Willie Schlepp at HHS, Char Lawrence at CHS or Principal Don Foucar at PAL.