What is Opening Minds through the Arts (OMA)?

Opening Minds through the Arts (OMA) is a nationally recognized, research based program that integrates the arts into  reading, writing, math and science lessons in elementary and middle schools. OMA has become a leader in a national movement to integrate arts education into the core curriculum, with more than 19,000 students, 700 teachers and 52 professional artists in 42 schools in the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) participating.

What grade levels do Teaching Artists work with in the OMA Program?

The OMA model, based on the neurological development of children, focuses on specific art forms each year of elementary and middle school as follows:

• Kindergarten - instrumental musicians (2-3)
• First grade - opera vocalists (a female and a male) with an accompanist
• Second grade - one movement artist
• Middle School - one visual artist

What qualifications do I need to become a Teaching Artist in the OMA Program?

Instrumental Artists:             

• Bachelor's degree in Music Education or Music Performance
• Passion for working with kindergarten aged students or experience teaching children music in a classroom setting

Opera Artists:

• Bachelor's degree in Music
• Passion for working with first grade students or experience teaching young children opera in a classroom setting

Movement Artists:

• Bachelor's degree in Dance
• Passion for working with second grade students or experience teaching young children dance in a classroom setting

Visual Artists:

• Bachelor's degree in Visual Arts
• Passion for working with middle school aged students or experience teaching visual arts in a classroom setting

How do I become an OMA Teaching Artist? 

The first step in becoming an OMA Teaching Artist is to attend our Arts Integration Academy.

NOTE: A limited number of OMA Teaching Artist positions will be available for the 2009 - 2010 school year. Artists wishing to attend the Arts Integration Academy, as a first step to employment, will be admitted by invitation only. Please call Joan Ashcraft (520) 225-4900 for a pre-invitation interview. Attending our Arts Integration Academy does not guarantee a position in the OMA Program; however, we hire Teaching Artists only from the pool of those who have completed the Arts Integration Academy.