Music education and music theory major Alexis Newman will receive the NAfME 2020 Collegiate Professional Achievement Award Thursday, June 25, at the NAfME Reimagined National Leadership Assembly 2020 "National Rally for Music Education". 

Newman was nominated for her work in music education advocacy. After attending the 2019 NAfME Collegiate Advocacy Summit last year in Washington, D.C., she had the idea to create the first Music Education Advocacy Day in the state of Arkansas, and got Governor Asa Hutchinson to issue a proclamation making March 2020 Music in Our Schools Month throughout the state.

"I'm proud of all we've accomplished so far, and I can't wait to continue to advance music education in our state. As I begin my career as a music educator, I hope to work with NAfME and ArkMEA to further our advocacy efforts," Newman said.

About the National Association for Music Education: The association is among the world's largest arts education organizations, is the only association that addresses all aspects of music education. NAfME advocates at the local, state, and national levels; provides resources for teachers, parents, and administrators; hosts professional development events; and offers a variety of opportunities for students and teachers. The association orchestrates success for millions of students nationwide and has supported music educators at all teaching levels for more than a century.

Since 1907, NAfME has worked to ensure that every student has access to a well-balanced, comprehensive, and high-quality program of music instruction taught by qualified teachers. NAfME's activities and resources have been largely responsible for the establishment of music education as a profession, for the promotion and guidance of music study as an integral part of the school curriculum, and for the development of the National Standards for Arts Education.