Founded on scientific findings about music’s role in brain development and education, Opening Minds Through the Arts (OMA) is a leader in a national movement to integrate arts education with core curriculum. OMA began in the 2000-2001 school year as a pilot project at three elementary schools in the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD). In the five years since, OMA has grown to 35 elementary and two middle schools within TUSD, is being introduced into other Arizona schools, and has received significant national attention and funding. Independent assessment has proven that OMA improves both test scores and teacher effectiveness. Most important, OMA students from disadvantaged environments are starting to close the gap in academic performance and are now surpassing both state and national standards in all tested areas. For more on the research results, click here.

These OMA classes are offered two times a week for the 36 weeks of the school year.  OMA is currently being used in TUSD schools as well as as a model in Santa Cruz county, Phoenix and Flagstaff, Arizona, with plans for further implementation throughout Arizona and the United States. Find out more about becoming an OMA school.