Gene Jones, 91, Opening Minds Through the Arts founder and benefactor, has won a $100,000 Purpose Prize for 2007, given by Civic Ventures, a national think tank and program incubator helping society achieve the greatest return on experience.

“I’m just blown away,” Jones said upon learning that he received one of only five $100,000 awards.  “I want it go to the kids!”  Jones is contributing all of his prize money to TUSD’s OMA Program and Foundation.

Gene, a decorated World War II bomber pilot, built his post-war career by turning failing businesses into profitable corporations.  Then, in 1999, at the age of 84, he turned his attention, skills and time to the next generation.  Combining his business savvy and love of music with his passion for education, Jones helped create and fund the Opening Minds Through the Arts Program in TUSD.  In 2003, with the program well underway and recognizing the need for outside support for the program, he laid the groundwork and provided additional funds to establish the OMA Foundation.  “OMA is the most satisfying thing I’ve done in my life by far,”  said Jones in an interview with the Arizona Daily Star, Jul. 2007

The Purpose Prize is a three-year, $9 million program investing in social innovators over age 60 and is the nation’s only large-scale award for those working to solve a critical social problem in the second half of life.  “The Purpose Prize winners are taking their wisdom, their skills and, in some cases, their savings to engage in work that has meaning beyond themselves,” [said] Jim Emerman, director of the Purpose Prize program and vice president of Civic Ventures.  Funding for the Prize comes from The Atlantic Philanthropies and The John Templeton Foundation.

Started eight years ago in just three TUSD elementary schools, the OMA Program this year will serve 19,000 students in 42 TUSD elementary and middle schools.

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