Ordway Circle of Stars

Imagine the smiles, delight, and enthusiasm of more than 50,000 Twin Cities school children as they experience the magic of musical theater, drama, music, and dance at Ordway Center for the Performing Arts.

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Ordway Circle of Stars (OCOS), the volunteer arm of Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, proudly makes those smiles a reality. Since its inception in 1995, OCOS has donated over $4 million to the Ordway's programs and activities, including the Performing Arts Classrooms that feature high-quality performers from the Target® World Music and Dance Series, and other educational programs, all of which reflect the cultural diversity of our community.

Thank you to all OCOS contributors and volunteers who have helped OCOS reach this milestone!

With the help of OCOS the Ordway is able to offer school children low-cost tickets and bus subsidies to experience live performing arts experiences, keeping the Ordway the most popular cultural destination for Minneapolis and Saint Paul public schools!

If you are interested in learning more about OCOS, please call our office at 651.282.3006.

What Do The Arts Do For Children?

  • Years of enrollment in arts courses positively correlate with higher SAT verbal and math scores.
  • Arts involvement motivates at-risk students to complete high school.
  • Learning through the arts increases children’s intellectual capacity, creative abilities, social manners, and coping skills.

Sources: “Arts Education Partnership Study 2002,” The College Board Study 2005, Study on The Role of the Fine and Performing Arts in High School Drop Out Prevention 2002

Did you know? The state of Minnesota requires all students to learn to create and perform, analyze and evaluate art through a set of Arts Standards. Performance experiences at the Ordway and accompanying study guides provide teachers with the tools to address student learning in the arts to reach these benchmarks.