MAPS – Ravalli Program
Established: 2004
Location: 515 Madison Street, Hamilton, MT 59840
Our founding program, MAPS – Ravalli County, has provided free, year-round media arts education to rural Montana youth for two decades.
Based in the county seat of Hamilton, this comprehensive program serves students from five Bitterroot Valley school districts through engaging in after-school and summer sessions.
Students access professional equipment and licensed teaching artists to work on individual and collaborative projects in film, design, music production, and emerging technologies. The program emphasizes hands-on learning, creative expression, and community engagement while preparing youth for future educational and career success.
MAPS – Ravalli County 2025-2026 Winter Session Afterschool Program
Classes run 4:00pm – 6:30pm on the dates listed below
• MAPS classes are always FREE-OF-CHARGE! •
• MAPS classes are for 8th to 12th graders •
• All abilities are welcome in all classes •
Mondays & Tuesdays, Jan 12 – March 23, 2026
Get ready to bring your creations to life! In this class, students will learn how to take their favorite drawings of things, animals or characters and make them look more realistic using shape building, shading, and awesome detail techniques. We’ll dive into learning about drawing through playful practice—observing real-life shapes, experimenting with lines, and discovering what makes a character instantly appealing. Students will also explore basic character design tips. Perfect for young artists who love to create and want to push their artwork to the next level!
Thursdays, Jan 15 – March 26, 2026
Take your digital musicianship further with an advanced, project-based exploration of modern music production. Build on your Rocksmith and Paradiddle VR skills through targeted technique challenges and performance tracking, then dive into creating original music in Reaper DAW.
Students will learn pro workflows—multi-tracking, MIDI programming, effects processing, automation, and mixing—to develop a polished track from start to finish. Collaboration, co-writing, and group feedback help refine each musician’s sound.
This class is designed for students ready for deeper creativity, advanced tools, and a more immersive music-making experience.
Fridays, Jan 16 – March 27, 2026
Step into the ultimate robotics challenge: design and build a battle bot from the ground up. Students will create custom 3D-printed bots, engineer advanced mechanisms, and level up their electronics skills with Arduino coding and programming.
Take your bot through cycles of destroy and rebuild, testing designs, optimizing performance, and mastering repairs. Explore autonomous behaviors, sensor integration, and strategic controls to give your bot a competitive edge.