MAPS : Media Arts in the Public Schools

The 26-minute program will air April 16 at 5 p.m., again the next day at 10:30 a.m. and a third time on May 27 at 11:30 a.m.

What happens when you combine Hollywood movie and media professionals and Ravalli County high school students?

"This year, MAPS continued to attract businesses to hire us to do their media work. Our public/private partnership enables us to choose projects on a ‘no charge’ basis."

MAPS inspires, educates, and trains high school students in filmmaking, digital media and Real World documentaries. In addition, students learn many essential life skills: communication, teamwork, problem solving, leadership, public speaking, budgets and deadlines.

"If you’re making a website, and it’s boring, nobody’s coming back," said Sauter, the one-time University of Montana journalism student who dove headlong into the world of advertising and now works with Paramount Pictures to market A-list films. "You’ve got to bring your A-game all the time. It’s a very competitive world."

The idea behind the organization is to provide young people in high school the opportunity to learn how to create and produce documentary films, by providing the teachers, the training and the state of the art equipment required and to provide employment for young up and comers at the same time.

"Public health is really important, regardless of one’s take on health care," said Peter Rosten, MAPS president. "What the health department felt was that our best service would be to boost awareness."

FYI, the Ravalli County Health Department serves 44,000 county citizens. The MAPS assignment was to convey the department’s wide variety of services – and most importantly – the quality/humanity of the nursing staff who provide them.

"Using MAPS gives us a tool to promote math and science created for kids, by kids," said Nancy Schweitzer, who starred in the commercial, alongside Jag the gubernatorial dog.

The commercial is part of a larger campaign the Governor and First Lady are sponsoring about the value of studying math and science and how these studies can positively impact a green future for Montana.