The Professional Development Conference Scholarship is intended to provide grant funding to NCMEA members attending the NCMEA Professional Development Conference for the first time. The purpose of this grant is to encourage membership in NCMEA and to encourage yearly participation in the NCMEA Professional Development Conference for the length of a career.
Three scholarships will be awarded each year. The scholarship funds will cover the cost of conference registration and three nights in the conference hotel. The estimated value of each scholarship is $600. Individuals may receive the scholarship only once in their lifetime.
The scholarship is intended for NCMEA members who are first-time attendees to the NCMEA Professional Development Conference (does not include first-year teachers who are a part of the mentor program). The scholarship does not cover the cost of membership dues nor the cost of substitute teachers for the period of the conference. Preference will be given to teachers who are employed in a Title-I school or who provide evidence of strong institutional and/or personal financial need.
Awardees are expected to implement what they have learned from the conference in their classroom. Awardees are also expected to attend at least one day of the NCMEA Professional Development Conference the following year and participate in a round table session. All three scholarship recipients will conduct the roundtable to share how they implemented what they learned the previous year. Costs for attendance to the conference of the year following the scholarship year are not included in the initial funds provided by NCMEA.
Application Requirements:
- Applicant must have current membership in NCMEA
- Applicant must be employed full time in a music teaching position in North Carolina
- Application with a signature from current principal
- Two letters of recommendation
- If you don’t already have one, you must create a Submittable account to fill out the applcation
Selection Process:
- Application process opens on August 15th of each year.
- Application deadline is
October 1st.Extended to October 11. - A committee appointed by the NCMEA President and approved by the NCMEA Board of Directors will review applications for possible approval.
- The Executive Director shall notify all applicants of their acceptance or rejection by October 15th.
- Recipients must commit to attending two consecutive NCMEA Professional Development Conferences (one at their own cost) and must commit to hosting a roundtable at the second conference.
Applications for the Professional Development Conference Scholarships are now closed for 2024