OCMEA News

OCMEA - Ohio News!

State Board Update

October 9th, 2024

I hope your fall semesters are going well so far! My name is Benjamin Low, and I have the pleasure of serving as President of the OCMEA State Board this year! I’m excited to be in this role and look forward to meeting and working with many of you throughout the year! I’m reaching out today with a couple updates from the State Board.

The State Board will be hosting the OCMEA Fall Conference on Saturday, November 2, at Capital University! Check-in will open at 10:45am, with our first guest speaker beginning at 11am. Brian Stevens, OMEA President, will close out the conference, wrapping up around 3pm. This year, the event will be free to attend, however lunch will not be provided like it has been in past years. There is no formal registration for the event, but we ask that all attendees RSVP using this form: https://forms.gle/ysHiGWzBwnnpDV2L8 More details will be forthcoming, but please mark your calendars!

Also, we have a new website, which can be found here: https://www.omea-ohio.org/ocmea_college_students.php (congrats for finding it!)! Huge shoutout to our Director of Communications, Amari Junkins, for putting this together! On the website, you can find the officer list and contact information, upcoming events, resources, a form to highlight your chapter, and more! You will also find a form to register your OCMEA chapter: https://portal.omea-ohio.org/members/form.php?orgcode=OMEA&fid=7430661. As part of the State Board’s efforts to make sure we have the most up-to-date information about individual chapters, we are asking that each chapter complete this form by December 1. It will also help us to program events and share resources that will be most useful to all chapters!

Finally, registration for the Professional Development Conference in February 2025 is open! For more information about the conference, costs, and housing, please refer to the OMEA website: https://www.omea-ohio.org/pdc_general_information.php. The State Board will be hosting two events at this conference specifically for OCMEA members, so we hope to see you there! Stay tuned for more details!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to myself or any of the State Board officers! 

Thanks,

Ben

OCMEA State Board Launches Brand New Website

September, 2024

Welcome to our new website! Thank you so much to our State Board Director of Communications, Amari Junkins, for creating the content, and execution! However, this website would not have happened without the support of all our OCMEA members! We hope you continue to support our mission, and let us support you! 

Three Ohio Chapters Participate in Collegiate Kick-off Week

September, 2024

Collegiate Kickoff Week is a celebration of our student members of NAfME. The event focuses on recruiting, team-building, and advocacy activities implemented and shared by each NAfME Collegiate chapter. Kickoff Week offers students the opportunity to highlight their local programs and membership while participating in service and volunteer events. Ohio Northern University, Miami University, and Youngstown State University. Each Chapter featured daily posts focused around service, music, advocacy, professional development, and recruitment. 

Ohio Northern University Wins NAfME Chapter of Excellence!

June, 2024

In 2024, Ohio Northern University won the Chapter of Excellence Award in Professional Development. They were one of three Chapters nationally to do so. The Chapter of Excellence Recognition was developed to encourage chapters to plan and execute successful chapter advocacy, music program, professional development, recruitment strategy, and service projects. Members attending the Conference include Amari Junkins, Aaron Thomas, Elizabeth Minturn, Kyler Lampton, and Ian Strange (left to right). 

OCMEA Members Colleen Gorski and Amari Junkins Win Personal Achievement Awards

June, 2024

OCMEA Members made up one fourth of the NAfME Collegiate Professional Achievement Award Winners in 2024. Amari Junkins, Ohio Northern University, and Colleen Gorski, Miami University, attended the National Collegiate Leadership Advocacy Summit to accept these awards. The Professional Achievement Award recognizes individuals who demonstrate an exemplary commitment to their area of study (i.e., voice, instrumental, strings) and contribute to activities such as volunteering, work experience, and publications. The award recipient is expected to have consistently attended State and/or National conferences, held leadership positions, and, through personal example, encouraged other collegiates to work toward the highest level of professional development. 

Collen Gorski accepting Professional Award.
Amari Junkins accepting Professional Award

OCMEA Members Attend National Collegiate Leadership Advocacy Summit

June, 2024

The annual NAfME Collegiate Leadership Advocacy Summit (CLAS) is an exciting multiday event that brings together NAfME Collegiate members from all over the nation for leadership-centric learning sessions, advocacy training, and professional networking.  

The event concludes with NAfME’s annual Hill Day event, during which all attendees head to Capitol Hill to meet with congressional representatives and staffers to share their story and advocate alongside leaders in their state on behalf of music education at the federal level. 

OCMEA members in attendance included Benjamin Low; University of Wooster; Colleen Gorski and Maria Hisey; Miami University; Amari Junkins, Elizabeth Minturn, Aaron Thomas, Ian Strange, and Kyler Lampton; Ohio Northern University.