Flathead Valley Community College

Join us on Friday, July 10 for an exclusive evening supporting the future of workforce education in Northwest Montana. 🛠️

Get a behind-the-scenes look inside the FVCC Trades Institute with guided tours of the facilities where students are training for high-demand careers. Then enjoy an exceptional culinary experience featuring fresh, local summer fare prepared by FVCC's Culinary Institute of Montana under the direction of Chef Andy Blanton.

The evening also includes stories from students whose lives have been shaped by the trades, a live auction featuring unique wine and culinary experiences and a paddle raise supporting the expansion of the FVCC Trades Institute.

Your support helps fuel opportunity, innovation and workforce development in our community.

🔗 Purchase tickets at https://aesbid.pulse.ly/mp3ujuziwy

🎉 Join us for a FREE community celebration at the 4th Annual Open House & Season Preview at the Wachholz College Center with Glacier Symphony on June 18!

As a cornerstone of arts, culture and connection in the Flathead Valley, the Wachholz College Center at FVCC is opening its doors for an evening of live music, local food, giveaways and a first look at the exciting season ahead.

Doors open at 4:30pm with happy hour, food trucks, ticket giveaways and waived ticket fees all evening. 🎟️✨

🔥 Featuring local food favorites Los Pinguinos Mexican Kitchen, Fire and Dough, Arn's BBQ and Sweet Peaks Ice Cream.

🎶 At 6pm, enjoy a FREE community concert in the O'Shaughnessy Outdoor Amphitheater with local band 20 Grand bringing the funk, energy and good vibes.

Bring a lawn chair or blanket, gather your friends and family, and celebrate another season of arts, entertainment and community at the Wachholz. ✨

Meet recent FVCC graduate, Hannah! 🎓 Hannah grew up in Bigfork, and if you have spent time in Founders Hall, you may have also seen her serving as a RA.

Hannah first completed FVCC's EMT program in 2021, but she was not sure where the path would lead. This spring, she graduated from the Paramedicine program, gaining hands-on experience through hospital clinicals, ride-alongs and advanced training alongside healthcare professionals throughout the Flathead Valley.

"One of my favorite parts was learning highly technical skills and then getting to practice them in real-life settings," Hannah said.

🌲 Now, she is continuing her education through FVCC's Forestry transfer track, combining her passions for emergency medicine and the outdoors.

As the first in her family to go to college, Hannah credits FVCC's faculty and support services with helping her succeed both inside and outside the classroom.

"I've been blown away by how much the faculty here want you to succeed," she said.

Looking ahead, Hannah hopes to work as a paramedic in wilderness and public lands settings, combining emergency medical services with her love for the outdoors. She is also a volunteer for Flathead County Search and Rescue, where she already sees the connection between medical care, outdoor skills and serving her community.

Congratulations, Hannah! We are proud to be part of your journey and can not wait to see what is next. 🚑🎊

🌱 There’s still time to sign up for FVCC Continuing Education Farm Tours!

Step onto some of Northwest Montana’s most unique farms and see firsthand how food, flowers, livestock, honeyberries, lavender and more are grown and raised. These active walking tours give you the opportunity to explore working farms, meet local farmers, learn about sustainable practices and discover the stories behind our local food system.

Many tours include hands-on workshops, and some even offer U-pick experiences! 🔗 Explore tours at https://pulse.ly/weh2qslemt.

Raven Ridge Farm
DIRT Rich Composting and Pick Up Service
Purple Frog Gardens
The North Shore Farm
Sunshine River Farms
Longview Lavender Farm, LLC
Three P's Farm
FVCC Campus Farm
Big Sky Honeyberries
Plow Girl Farm
Two Bear Farm
Flathead Farmworks
Big Sky Orchards
Snow Country Gardens
Mountain Prairie Flower Farm

📸 North Shore Farm

Looking for something fun and educational for your kids this summer? ☀️ FVCC Kids College still has openings available!

Kids can explore new interests through:
🇩🇪 German Language and Culture (June 22-26)
💃 Intro to Irish Dance (June 22-26)
📦 Cardboard Engineering (Sessions beginning June 15)

These hands-on classes are a great way to keep kids learning, creating and having fun during summer break.

🔗 Register your child today at https://fvcc.pulse.ly/bwvvmuppv7

Running Start helps students take their next step before they even graduate high school. 🎓

Glacier High School senior Anitha Ravipati has completed college courses at FVCC through Running Start while pursuing her passion for science, research and helping others. Anitha is already building a strong foundation before she goes to the University of Texas at Austin where she plans to study neuroscience and psychology.

We’re proud to be part of her journey and to help local high school students get a head start on college. Congratulations, Anitha! 🌟

🔗 Read more at

Senior Spotlight: Glacier High School student looks to use science to help others Knowing she wanted to help others, there was a time when Anitha Ravipati considered pursuing a career as a medical doctor. But applying her science acumen during an internship last summer opened the possibility of assisting through research.

Although insects, diseases, and other agents are a natural part of forest ecology, some activity can be determined high-risk to forest health. Finding and viewing examples of natural forest processes alongside experts is great hands-on field experience for students. 👐🌲

Flathead Valley Community College students recently did just that, expecting to find a few examples. Instead, they identified more than 15, and even some from animals like beaver, deer, and woodpeckers.

The students were joined by their professors Tim Eichner and Dr. Kelly Kissane and Montana DNRC forest pest management program manager Amy Gannon.

“FVCC’s natural resources program is extremely fortunate to have such great community partners, especially partners like Amy and other DNRC employees who are so passionate about what they do,” said Eichner, Professor of Surveying and Natural Resources.

Learn more about forest pests at dnrc.mt.gov/forestpests.

📸 Photos courtesy Tim Eichner, Dr. Kelly Kissane, and Amy Gannon.

Summer Experience is back at FVCC! ☀️🎓 High school juniors and seniors from across Montana can earn free college credits this summer while getting a head start on college beginning June 15.

Students take College 101 plus another class of their choice, with options like Intro to Political Theory, College Writing and Intro to Welding Fundamentals.

✔️ Completely free
✔️ Earn college credit early
✔️ Explore future careers

🔗 Register now at https://fvcc.pulse.ly/7w4elxlkiu