About Thriving Minds

Thriving Minds launched in 2007 with the help of a three-year, $8 million grant from the Wallace Foundation and more than $9 million in private-sector funding. Managed by Big Thought, Thriving Minds has engaged students in the classroom by using arts and culture to help teach subjects like reading and math. It has also reintroduced formal arts instruction to elementary schools by hiring fine arts specialists and increasing the amount of class time devoted to music and visual arts. Finally, Thriving Minds is organizing neighborhoods to coordinate and boost creative activities for families outside of school, during evenings, weekends and summers.

Each year, we serve more than 300,000 students, teachers, parents, caregivers and mentors by coordinating the efforts of schools, libraries, cultural institutions, community-based organizations and others to provide children and families access to quality programs from many disciplines, including music, dance, theater, creative writing, science, technology and more.

When the Thriving Minds vision is fully realized, the city of Dallas will have stronger arts and cultural providers and provide equal access to learning and resources for thousands of children.