The women are among the stars who will pay visits to failing institutes to help introduce arts classes in an effort to boost students' test scores.

The Turnaround Arts Initiative, spearheaded by officials at the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities and the U.S. Department of Education, was launched in 2011 with eight schools in eight states.

They are now expanding the programme to 49 schools in 14 states and they are turning to celebrities to raise the profile of the project, which has previously proved to raise attendance records and reduce disciplinary problems.

Diaz will partner with school bosses at Mary M. Bethune Elementary in Hollywood, Florida from next year (16) to take part in the new arts programme.

She says, "All children deserve to have access to the arts, not only to discover their passion, but as a tool to engage them in the joy of learning.

"I look forward to working to inspire the students at Bethune Elementary... to discover and reach for their dreams."