About CIMA

The Challenger Instrumental Music Association (CIMA) supports the Challenger Middle School Music Program, which includes over 200 students in seven ensembles: Beginning Orchestra, Advanced Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Beginning Band, Advanced Band, Beginning Choir, and Advanced Choir.

For the 2025–2026 school year, we are thrilled to welcome back Ms. Tatum Faurot for her second year as Music Director, where she continues to lead our band and orchestra programs. Meanwhile, Ms. Marielena Teng carries on her tradition of excellence in guiding our choir students at Challenger.

Challenger Middle School is part of one of the largest and strongest music programs in San Diego. Each elementary school in Mira Mesa offers music instruction at least one day per week for 4th and 5th grade students, both middle schools offer orchestra, band, and choral performance ensemble classes, and Mira Mesa High School offers the most comprehensive performing arts department in the region, including multiple sections of orchestra, band, choir, color guard, drama, and theater, as well as AP Music Theory.  Students in the Mira Mesa area are frequently accepted into Honor Ensembles at the Elementary, Middle, and High School levels, throughout the local, regional, and state levels.

CIMA financially supports the efforts of the Challenger Middle School Instrumental Music Program by helping fund instrument purchases and repairs, sheet music purchases, coaches and clinicians, payment assistance for the performance trips, and more, with the ultimate goal of helping students in the Challenger Middle School Music Program become the very best they can be.

The Challenger Instrumental Music Association is 501(c)(3) organization: tax ID number 47-5622797