Calling All Volunteers!

  • Are you looking to give back in a meaningful way that will have exponential benefits to the community?

  • Do you want to learn more about mindfulness and compassion?

  • Do you have any special talents that align with our mission that you can share with the community?

  • Do you want to reduce your anxiety and stress, and teach others how to do the same?

  • Do you want to be provided with thorough training so that you can feel confident and successful in your position?

If you said “yes,” to one or more of the questions above, then you will be a great fit!

As we are expanding our programs, we are in need of individuals to join us in teaching and spreading compassion by using mindfulness and art.

Please fill out the form below if you are interested in volunteering, or to continue to volunteer to let us know your availability.

Do you want to be even more involved and play an essential role to our organization? Please apply for a position on our board, by completing the application and email it to compassion.pject@gmail.com

Our Team

Sarah Montano she/her/hers

  • Sarah has always been passionate about spreading compassion throughout the Bozeman community primary through her career in education, but also other endeavors. She is ecstatic to be able to combine all her professional experiences to contribute to the vision and mission of Compassion Project as the Executive Director.

    Sarah holds a BS in Secondary Education, and an MS in Educational Leadership. She taught in Bozeman for nearly fifteen years at various capacities; Bozeman School District, Montana State University, Gallatin College, and through her tutoring and consulting business, where she has strived to assist individuals to reach their full potential. Her economic and business background, whether through teaching, running her own businesses, and as an economic research specialist, alongside with her personal passions of practice of mindfulness and compassion, will enable her to set goals to help support, lead, and expand the valuable impacts of Compassion Project.

    In her free time, you will catch her outside biking, rafting, skiing, and enjoying life with her two sons, Sage and Asher, and her dog, the best girl ever, Wiley.

Ali Everts she/her/hers

  • Ali Everts heard about Compassion Project when she was attending MSU, and was very thankful for the support it gave the community through art and healing. Fast forward years later she joined a workshop and was amazed at the opportunities it gave to connect with community members of all different age groups and how it always filled her cup. Ali volunteered for a couple years, leading workshops and knew her love of compassion project needed to broaden -with joining as a board member!


    Ali grew up in Bozeman, went to Montana State University, where she completed two degrees and has worked at the Bozeman Health ER for nine years. Recently she got into med school and is excited to continue to support Bozeman with the complement of creativity, art and mindfulness she finds at Compassion Project. Something she thinks is essential for a healthy, balanced life!

Janet DeHart she/her/hers

  • Janet DeHart has been immersed in the study and practice of compassion through her career in the healing arts and wellness industry for over 20 years. From hands-on bodywork and teaching yoga to being a birth doula and mindfulness coaching, or ritual practices, she is committed to facilitating compassion in the world starting with self-love first. She moved to Montana from California in 2020 and discovered Compassion Project through community involvement in Big Sky. Becoming part of the board felt organic as it's mission aligns directly with her holistic values

    Janet is passionate about collaboration and community building, founding a San Francisco wellness collective in 2015 that is still in operation under new ownership. She mentored over 40 therapists and practitioners in streamlining their business and refining their services. As a healing entrepreneur and artist, she brings creativity and ingenuity to her projects, teams, and clients. Her work has been offered at yoga retreats, health conferences and corporate wellness programs locally and internationally. She is currently writing on her first published work, a tarot deck to be released in 2025.

    She replenishes through exploration in nature and quality time with intimate relationships, usually her dog Violet is involved too.

Mikinley Hoffer she/her/hers

  • Janet DeHart has been immersed in the study and practice of compassion through her career in the healing arts and wellness industry for over 20 years. From hands-on bodywork and teaching yoga to being a birth doula and mindfulness coaching, or ritual practices, she is committed to facilitating compassion in the world starting with self-love first. She moved to Montana from California in 2020 and discovered Compassion Project through community involvement in Big Sky. Becoming part of the board felt organic as it's mission aligns directly with her holistic values

    Janet is passionate about collaboration and community building, founding a San Francisco wellness collective in 2015 that is still in operation under new ownership. She mentored over 40 therapists and practitioners in streamlining their business and refining their services. As a healing entrepreneur and artist, she brings creativity and ingenuity to her projects, teams, and clients. Her work has been offered at yoga retreats, health conferences and corporate wellness programs locally and internationally. She is currently writing on her first published work, a tarot deck to be released in 2025.

    She replenishes through exploration in nature and quality time with intimate relationships, usually her dog Violet is involved too.

Shelby Hall she/her/hers

  • Shelby started off working in the natural resource world with her Wildlife Biology Degree in Indiana where she grew up. After deciding to take over the last bit of her family’s farm in Bozeman, she moved out here and became a Fitness Specialist for Montana State University. Then, most recently, Shelby has taken the position as the Communtities that Care Coordinator and Prevention Specialist for the Gallatin county. While her career has taken her many different directions, she has found that all of these paths have lead to her deeper understanding of the value of connection and compassion. The connection and compassion of self, of others, and of her Creator.

    Shelby learned about Compassion Project through her most recent job and is excited to serve her community with love and kindess being at the heart of it all!

  • Former Board President

    Jesine Munson was born and raised in Montana. Hailing from Havre, she has lived in Bozeman since 2007. Jesine has gone to school for far too long and has a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Art History and a BFA with a focus in Ceramics. In 2023, she completed her PhD in American Studies and occasionally still teaches as an adjunct professor at Montana State University. Her research is in Pragmatist Aesthetics and Moral Imagination, and she profoundly believes that living more artistically is key to the survival of our species. She based her research Compassion Project, a Bozeman non-profit whose mission is to teach and spread compassion through art and mindfulness. Jesine embodies these values every day and believes the key to community building is through compassionate dialogue and creative connection, the art of living, as she calls it. Public art is foundational in these beliefs, and she is eager to get to work in cultivating a strong community in Big Sky with the idea that Public Art is Public Health. Jesine loves art and the outdoors, and her dream day is to be out-of-service with her dogs (Lucy & Chester) and brand new baby, Monte Edgar.

  • Founder and Former Board President

    Kayte serves as the Senior Assistant Dean in the College of Education, Health and Human Development at MSU. She is the proud founder of Compassion Project and is so proud of how far the organization has come as we need compassion now more than ever. In her spare time, Kayte finds joy in her hubby Adam and her little ones Ethan (3) and Esther (1.5), traveling all over the world and across the United States, and serving on the Roots Family Collaborative Board of Directors.

  • Former Executive Director

    Tia Goebel, MS, PCLC, is a Behavioral Health Consultant in Bozeman. A longtime resident of the Gallatin Valley, she earned her master’s degree from Montana State University. Counseling has been a transformative part of Tia’s own healing journey, inspiring her to pursue a career that supports others while continuing her personal growth. She approaches counseling with compassion, honesty, and cultural humility, aiming to build strong, authentic relationships with her patients. Tia believes in the power of education to help individuals regain control over their lives and values teamwork in removing barriers to healthcare. Outside of her practice, she enjoys swimming, reading, playing board games with friends, and hiking with her dog.

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Advisory Board

Welcome Our Newest Volunteers

  • Ali Everts

    Ali Everts (she/her)

    Ali has worked in the Emergency Room at Bozeman Health for many years. In this role and as a long-time resident of Bozeman, she has seen a great need for compassion-building in our community. From the young people who may struggle with coping mechanisms, to caregivers in our community suffering with burnout, and everyone in between who are reaching for a way to stay connected - compassion is important. Painting, meditating, and practicing compassion with others in real time is just the healing our community needs. She fully believes in the Compassion Project and its huge efforts to aid in these struggles.

  • Eva Ticknor

    Eva Ticknor (she/her)

    Eva has worked as an educator in Montana public schools for 10 years. She is currently pursuing a graduate degree from Montana State University in School Counseling. She works part-time for Montana PBS on their Learning Media production team. Eva participated in the Montana Mindfulness Project's 16-week mindful schools implementation. She also volunteers for the HRDC’s summer lunch in the parks program. She believes that compassion starts from within and enjoys spending time soaking in hot springs, creating art, and loving on her shaggy pup, Juniper.

  • Katie Banner

    Katie Banner (she/her)

    Katie has been on her own self-compassion and mindfulness journey for the past several years. The opportunity to learn from others within the Compassion Project and connect with different parts of the Bozeman community through art, mindfulness, and compassion drew her into the organization. She works in academia at MSU and sees a need for more mindfulness and compassionate practices within the system. She hopes to bring what she learns to her students, colleagues, and collaborators and spread “ripples of compassion” throughout the MSU community.

  • Alex Pasin

    Alex Pasin (she/her)

    Alex is a New Yorker who was drawn to Bozeman by the northern Rockies. She is currently a student at MSU pursuing a Master’s degree in Marriage, Couples and Family Counseling, and works as a crisis counselor at the Help Center. She is at her best when she is out hiking or skiing with her dog Cabot, and when she gets quality time with the people she loves. Alex joined the CP team because she believes in the power of community and connection, and thinks that we thrive in spaces that allow us to be human together.

Thank you to our Alumni

Amy Gaudielle, Board Member

Jesine Munson, Board President

Michelle Potts, Board Member

Tia Goebel, Executive Director

Dr. Kayte Kaminski, Founder and Board Member

Jade Lowder, Board Member and President

Demi Feder, Board Member

Khoi Huynh, Board Member

Molly Basta, Board Member

Tyler Smith, Board Member

Sean Graves, Board Member

Hilary Parker, Board Member and President

Sonja Bahr, Board Member and Treasurer

Kim O’Neil, Board Member

John Melick, Board Member

Ira Westbrook, Board Member and Treasurer

Elaine Westbrook, Board Member and Secretary

Naomi Worob, Community and Classroom Facilitator

Kelsey McPherson, Volunteer and Classroom Facilitator