Sharon Voida, employed by Tucson Unified School District since 1991, has held various postions including School Office Manager (Pistor Middle School and Dodge Magnet Middle School) prior to transferring to the Fine Arts Department to the Opening Minds Through The Arts (OMA) Program. When the OMA Program received initial funding from the United States Department of Education, Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination Grant (2001-2004), she became the Budget Specialist for the OMA Program. During the next three years she worked closely with the OMA Program Coordinator and Director to develop and expand the OMA Program from four to thirty-seven elementary schools. 

During 2004, the Opening Minds Through The Arts (OMA) Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit was established to support the OMA Program. Sharon played a key role in the development of the foundation and actively serves on the OMA Foundation Advisory Board and Development Committee. In 2005, the OMA Program received a Professional Development for Music Educators Grant and Sharon became a member of the OMA Design Team as Program Development Specialist.

Having always believed that the arts are an integral part of the development of children, she enjoys working to develop the OMA Program into a nationwide model for arts integration education. “Over the years I’ve seen many educational programs come and go. All of the programs I’ve seen have targeted a specific group of students. OMA is the only program that truly benefits every child, not only helping them to succeed academically, but to develop as a well-rounded, life-long learner.”

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