The Gardner & Florence Call Cowles Foundation has awarded a $150,000 grant to the Des Moines Metro Opera. The grant is designated to support the OPERA Iowa Educational Touring Troupe for a three-year period beginning in 2016. The OPERA Iowa program is the principal component to the organization’s educational outreach efforts. One of the largest and most expansive programs in the state, OPERA Iowa serves 26,000 people statewide annually.