MAPS: Media Arts in the Public Schools Expands Ahead of Schedule. Is your School Involved?

MAPS: Media Arts in the Public Schools http://www.mediarts.org has contracted with Darby High School (Darby, MT) to offer an after- school MAPS program beginning September, 2006.

Funding for the new program was raised by Darby’s X-TREME Team, a youth focused program that offers after-school and summer programs for Darby students in first through twelfth grade.

Says X-TREME Team program coordinator, Deborah Rogala: “We’re very excited about offering the MAPS program to Darby High School students. Peter is a great resource here in our own community and will provide an inspirational opportunity for students to get excited about film making and the world around them.”

Although MAPS statewide expansion is set for 2007, MAPS President, Peter Rosten, lives in Darby and he wasn’t about to say ‘no’ to his home town high school. Rosten also said that one very compelling reason to expand earlier than planned was the ability to hire recent MAPS graduates to help teach the course.

“One of MAPS goals is to create jobs for our graduates in the media – a field they are passionate about,” Rosten added. “The Darby program gives us this opportunity and we’ll be hiring 2006 MAPS graduates Luke McLean and Danielle Corona to work with our new Darby students.”

MAPS is not only expanding its locations, but its curriculum as well. This fall, it will offer the “MAPS Songwriting Seminars” to high schools around the state. The seminars will be instructed by John Mclellan (lead singer and songwriter of “The Clintons” band) and at the end of the year the student who writes the ‘best song’ will win a $500 prize.

To help underwrite this new program, MAPS is hosting three benefit concerts in October and November. Starring “THE CLINTONS” band and the unofficial MAPS band, “WANG DANG DOODLE”, the events will be in Bozeman (October 14), Hamilton (October 21 w/Joan Zen) and Helena (November 11.)

For more information about MAPS, contact Peter Rosten @ (406) 370-3745 or visit our website, http://www.mediarts.org. For benefit concert information: http://www.clintonsband.com, http://www.wangdangdoodle.net, http://www.joanzen.com