Josh McCain started Big Sky Bravery in honor of his brother-in-law, Jeremy Keller, an Army Ranger who has served through 18 total deployments. PHOTO BY GABRIELLE GASSER
BIG SKY – Josh McCain is the founder and president of Big Sky Bravery, a nonprofit organization that helps active-duty servicemen and -women from Special Operations Forces, or SOF, decompress following deployments. He was inspired to start Big Sky Bravery in 2016, when his brother-in-law and personal hero Jeremy Keller returned from his 14th deployment.
On Jan. 27, EBS Editor-in-Chief Joseph T. O’Connor sat down with McCain and Keller to kick off the Big Sky Ideas Festival and talk about Big Sky Bravery.
McCain said that after growing up in Three Forks, Montana he and his wife moved to New York City to live the big-city dream. After hitting a slump, McCain came up with the idea for Big Sky Bravery, inspired by Keller, and he and his wife picked up their lives and moved to Bozeman to start Big Sky Bravery.
View the full interview here
Seeing a gap in service for active-duty members of the armed forces and a plethora of nonprofits dedicated to veterans, McCain got to work. While he acknowledges that helping veterans is critical, he also said that helping men and women while they are in active-duty status can prevent mental illness and suicide once they retire as veterans.
“I think it’s time to be proactive,” McCain said. “We need doers more than thinkers.”
Keller served in the American Armed Forces and is a decorated U.S. Army Ranger with a total of 18 deployments outside of training under his belt. When McCain called him to propose the idea for the nonprofit, Keller said it would make a huge difference.
“Big Sky Bravery is changing lives and changing marriages,” Keller said. “I’m honored to be the impetus behind it, but it’s bigger than one person.”
Big Sky Bravery partners with among the most elite units in the U.S. Armed Forces and runs weeklong programs, or Task Forces, to help servicemembers decompress and heal. McCain explained that the organization designs its programs around the idea of “freedom of thought,” which has task force members completing activities that require total focus and execution.
McCain pointed to numerous testimonials from task force participants who benefited immensely and whose lives have been changed as a result of Big Sky Bravery’s programming.
“We’re giving people a new sense of hope, peace and restoration for their future,” he said.
Children turning 5 on or before
9/10/2024: Kindergarten
enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year can be completed by following the
registration process now.
Children
born on or after September 11, 2019:4K enrollment is now open for
families that have a 4-year-old they would like to enroll in our program for
the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete the 4K Interest Form to
express your interest. Completing this form does not guarantee enrollment into
the 4K program. Enrollment is capped at twenty 4-year-olds currently
residing within Big Sky School District boundary full time and will be
determined by birth date in calendar order of those born on or after September
11, 2018. Interest form closes on May 30th.
Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
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Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep inward journey and peak state experience. This experience can activate and clear the chakras, release trauma, reset the nervous system, connect us with higher consciousness, and help us achieve self-actualization. No prior experience is necessary. Register at santoshabigsky.com/workshops-special-events
Time
March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a
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Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a limited palette to create different color combinations? Are you tired of carrying around 15-20 different tubes when you paint plein air? Have you ever wanted to create a certain “mood” in a painting but failed? Do you create a lot of mud? Do you struggle to achieve color harmony? All these problems are addressed in John’s workbook in clear and concise language!
Based on the bestselling “Limited Palatte, Unlimited Color” workbook written by John Pototschnik, the workshop is run by Maggie Shane and Annie McCoy, accomplished landscape (acrylic) and plein air (oil) artists,exhibitors at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery and members of the Big Sky Artists Collective.
Each student will receive a copy of “Limited Palette, Unlimited Color” to keep and take home to continue your limited palette journey. We will show you how to use the color wheel and mix your own clean mixtures to successfully create a mood for your paintings.
Each day, we will create a different limited palette color chart and paint a version of a simple landscape using John’s directives. You will then be able to go home and paint more schemes using the book for guidance.
Workshop is open to painters (oil or acrylic) of any level although students must have some basic knowledge of the medium he or she uses. Students will be provided the book ($92 value), color wheel, value scale and canvas papers to complete the daily exercises.
Come join us at Cowboy Coffee as we celebrate a fun night of drinks, games, and meeting others within the community. This event is from 6-8 and all are welcome
Event Details
Come join us at Cowboy Coffee as we celebrate a fun night of drinks, games, and meeting others within the community. This event is from 6-8 and all are welcome to come, if you don’t know who to bring come alone this is a great mixer event! This is an event hosted by Big Sky OUT as we work to provide queer safe spaces throughout the community.
