Helena, MT. MAPS founder and Darby resident, Peter Rosten, has big ideas for Montana and he traveled to Helena to formally file his papers as a candidate for Ravalli County’s House District 87.

Best known as the President of MAPS: Media Arts in the Public Schools, Rosten sees similarities between his current career and public service in the Montana State Legislature.

“In 2003, we started with a simple concept to educate and then create quality jobs for Montana teens. Since I’ve always been an entrepreneur, taking a big idea and making it happen is a job I’m comfortable with,” he said. “Like most new ventures we had tons of obstacles. But I’ve always believed if you’ve got the will you’ll find a way. And the same work ethic applies to politics.”

Four years later, MAPS is now in five Montana locations (Corvallis, Missoula, Bozeman, Red Lodge and Wolf Point), and has received local, state and national recognition. Recently honored with the 2008 “Award of Excellence in Education” from the Society of New Communications Research, Rosten is especially proud of the professional work produced by the MAPS students.

“This month our students’ College Goal Sunday TV spots are running in 38 states and the Center for Disease Control is broadcasting our tobacco-prevention PSA’s nationwide,” says Rosten. “Our clients pay us, I pay the kids - it’s the real world. And the best thing of all is our teen filmmakers are making a difference.”

There are many reasons that Rosten, a Democrat, is running but key among them is that he knows we can do better. Open communication and civility is sorely lacking in the political arena and change does not occur without innovation. Important issues like job creation, education, affordable health care, managing growth and forest management must be addressed in a cooperative bi-partisan fashion.

Rosten concludes: “The business-as-usual style of partisan politics has to change. Montanans are famous for being good neighbors and good friends, and there’s no reason we can’t apply that standard to everything we do.”