Special Programs

Community Philosophy Programs

Philosophers love their categories…but some things just don’t fit into a box. From community endeavors like our Reeder’s Alley Summer Series to focus projects like our “Toward a Better Understanding of Homelessness” and “Thinking About Place” programs, our special programs refuse to be labeled anything other than special.

Community Endeavors

Celebrating Community & the Alley

2024 Reeder’s Alley Summer Series

Nestled in the grounds of historic Reeder’s Alley, this fun, grassroots-inspired Summer series hosted by community philosophy non-profit Merlin CCC features live local music, a beer & wine garden, food trucks, historic Pioneer Cabin & alley walking tours, living history demonstrations, lawn games, and more. It’s all about celebrating community, baby!

Reeders Alley Summer Series Tuesday Nights 4-8 pm July – September

  • Live Local Music
  • Chill Vibes & Free
  • Food Trucks, Brews & Wine
  • Pioneer Cabin Tours & Living History
See Caption

Gold Rush Days Helena, Montana
Celebrating Helena’s History

2025 Gold Rush Days

Held in conjunction with Downtown’ Helena’s Spring ArtWalk and the Prickly Pear Land Trust’s Don’t Fence Me in 5K Race, this 2-day family-friendly event put on by numerous community organizations (including us!), celebrates Helena’s history and invites people to step back in time. Activities include gold & sapphire panning, pioneer crafts & living history Pioneer cabin tours, roaming Pioneer musicians, walking history tours, art making & auctions, Stories from Our Elders, Cancan dancing, live music & food, comedy, and more.

Toward a Better Understanding of Homelessness.A documentary &. community conversation through the lens of philosophy.
A Documentary & Community Conversation Project

2024-2025 Toward a Better Understanding of Homelessness

Our “Toward a Better Understanding of Homelessness” public philosophy project is a response to growing unhoused populations at home & abroad, and a more general and important call to adequately understand the multi-faceted nature & complexity of homelessness. At its core, the project is an invitation to carefully reflect on these complexities and an opportunity for improved ways of thinking and responding together.

While inquiries into homelessness are not new, making philosophy central (both in terms of approach and questions asked/explored) can be a helpful lens and bring to the fore important considerations for both those experiencing homelessness and those responding to it.

Consisting of three-parts this project involves interviews and recordings (which will be turned into a vignette documentary), a vignette documentary screening, and a community discussion

An Exploratory Sense of Place Project

Thinking About Place

Urban design and architecture are often called “place-making.” Save a bit of wildland or a fragile habitat and we’re saving a “special place.” Montana is the “last best place.”

But what’s “place”? What meaning does the word carry through all those roles? Is there a clue in that old term “sense of place”? What senses are in play & when they kick in, what’s going on?

These questions deserve our shared thought and that’s precisely what this on-going special project inspired & led by Dennis McCahon invites us to do.

Heading "Thinking about Place" over a area with trees and benches.
Re-Centering Community as a Place of Learning Project

Community Hubs

Inspired by the unique role of human connection and community as central to critical thinking—places where living and learning together go hand in hand—our Community Hubs project re-envisions the academy by re-centering the community as a place of learning.

The project involves four distinct phases, each of which we will campaign for prior to its launch:

• Phase 1: Community Hubs – Pilot 
• Phase 2: Rural Hub Pilot Program 
• Phase 3: Urban Hub Pilot Program 
• Phase 4: Statewide (Montana) & other Mountain West Community Hubs


Special Projects Gallery

We love looking back & reminiscing about our special projects.
Check out some photos of the fun & magic below!

Woman and two children working on a project on a table outdoors with onlookers around.

Gold Rush Days 2024

May 2024

A table with children showing their artwork.

Big Ideas by Little Philosophers

2019-2020

Old wooden structurein the Forestvale Cemetary.

Hayrides and Cemeteries

October 2020

Older man in a white lab coat talking to a teenager and a child.

Science on Tap

February 2019

Person with silver and dark hair and glasses sitting and playing the guitar.

Flamenco Night

April 2018

3 women sitting in a circle with one woman holding a microphone.

Life Enrichment & Wellness

Spring 2017

A group of adults and children outdoors talking to each other.

First Friday

July 2016

Picture of people mingling and playing table tennis.

Beat the Heat

August 2016

A man and two woment talking

Earth Day Expo

June 2016