Scholarships & Awards

Awards & Recognition Forms

PMEA-SMTE Awards for Excellence Order Form

Scholarships/Grants:

    • Margaret S. Bauer Grant Program Information
      There are two main submission periods:
      Fall: Submissions must be received by November 1; expect notification around December 15
      Spring: Submissions must be received by April 1; expect notification around May 15
    • Irene R. Christman Scholarship 
      • The scholarship is presented to an outstanding All-State student who will be attending college to major in music education. Established in 1997. The 2024 scholarship will be awarded to a senior student selected to one of the six PMEA All-State Ensembles. *Application is now open; deadline to apply: Wednesday, March 27, 2024
    • The PMEA Council TTRR Continuing Education Award, in memory of BJ Stark & Barbara Dooley Fox, supporters of music education. This scholarship will be awarded to a full-time, undergraduate or graduate music education major in an accredited PA institution who has completed at least two semesters. (The amount and number of scholarships available may vary from year to year.) The application will open in April of 2024.
    • The PMEA Music-for-Lifelong-Learning Award, in memory of Donald Edward Stark & Paul Francis Fox, engineers and supporters of music education. This scholarship will be awarded to a full-time, undergraduate or graduate science-technology-engineering-mathematics major in an accredited PA institution who has completed at least two semesters. (The amount and number of scholarships available may vary from year to year.) The application will open in April of 2024

Awards & Recognition Offerings

  • Honorary Membership and Honorary Life Membership
    • Members of 25 years or more are recommended by individual districts and then sent to the state executive board for approval. The state board may approve one application per year.
  • James R. Stewart Distinguished Service Award 
    • Award given to a PMEA member who has served the association at the State Level. Other criteria may include length of service, multiple PMEA state level offices, NAfME Eastern Division, and/or National Offices. Named for James R. Stewart, past PMEA State President. Deadline to apply: Wednesday, December 6, 2023.
  • Margaret S. Bauer Grant Program
    • To provide grants to qualifying PMEA members who require funding for professional development, resources, equipment, or creative projects which will enhance music instruction, student learning and forward the mission of PMEA (Rolling application deadline)
  • PMEA Citation of Excellence 
      • On a two year rotation between elementary or middle/junior high and high school or college/university. The Citation of Excellence is awarded to PMEA members who have made lasting contributions in their area of teaching. The 2024 Award will be given to educators at the elementary/middle school levels. Deadline to apply: Wednesday, December 6, 2023.
  • PMEA Hall of Fame  
    • Established July 2008 to honor music educators who, by virtue of their contributions, are recognized as being the most highly regarded professional leaders in music education in the state of Pennsylvania. Deadline to apply: Wednesday, December 6, 2023.
  • PMEA Outstanding Superintendent Award 
    • To honor a superintendent in Pennsylvania that has supported music education in their school district. Deadline to apply: Wednesday, December 6, 2023.
  • PMEA Outstanding Young Music Educator 
    • Award created to honor an outstanding young PMEA member music educator within their first 3-5 years of teaching for their contributions to music education and PMEA. Deadline to apply: Wednesday, December 6, 2023.
  • PMEA 25 Years of Teaching Recognition 
    • PMEA recognizes members, elementary through college/university music educators, who are in their 25th year of teaching (or beyond their 25th year) with at least 15 years of teaching in Pennsylvania. (Person must currently be a PMEA member, however does not need to have been a PMEA member for 25 years.) Deadline to apply: Wednesday, January 3, 2024

View the 2022 PMEA Awards Ceremony

View the 2021 PMEA Awards Ceremony

View the 2020 PMEA Awards Ceremony

Honorary Membership

  • Sammy Nestico – composer* 
  • Vaclav Nelhybel – composer*

Honorary Life Membership

  • A.D. Davenport*
  • Russell E. Shuttlesworth*
  • Ronald C. Teare*
  • W. Fred Orth*
  • Maurice Taylor
  • Irene R. Christman*
  • Frederick DelMonte*
  • Carmen Culp*
  • Marie Weber

*denotes deceased recipient

Margaret S. Bauer Grant Program Information

James R. Stewart Distinguished Service Award Recipients

William L. Nash Continuing Education Scholarship Recipients

PMEA Hall of Fame Recipients

Outstanding Young Music Educator Award Recipients

PMEA Outstanding Superintendent Award Recipients

PMEA Citation of Excellence Recipients