MENC's Mission -- To advance music education by encouraging the study and making of music by all.

Membership Statistics -- As of June 30, 2008, MENC membership consists of more than 142,000 active and retired music educators, college students studying to become teachers, secondary school music honor society members, corporate members, and music education advocates.

History -- Founded in 1907 with 64 members, today's membership has grown to more than 130,000 including active music teachers, university faculty and researchers, college students preparing to be teachers, high school honor society members and MusicFriends. Formerly Music Educators National Conference, the association's name was changed in 1998 to MENC: The National Association for Music Education to better reflect its mission. 2007 marked MENC's Centennial.

National Standards for Music Education -- MENC developed the National Standards for Music Education and administered the overall development of the National Standards for Arts Education (1994) under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Arts. The National Standards represent the first comprehensive set of educational standards for K-12 arts instruction. MENC has since published more than 20 documents in instructional techniques for helping students accomplish the Standards, dealing with such issues as staffing, scheduling, equipment, technology, and assessment.

Music In Our Schools Month (MIOSM) -- Every March, MENC sponsors MIOSM, a public outreach program designed to support school music programs and raise awareness of the importance of music education.

Fund for the Advancement of Music Education (FAME) -- an MENC-administered program which seeks to improve and expand music education for all by effecting changes in the general public's perception. The program's goals are to increase public awareness of the importance of music education and to promote public support for music education at the local, state, and federal levels. FAME funded programs enable the music education community to reach out beyond the parameters of the teaching profession to the world in which Americans learn about and make music.

The National Anthem Project: Restoring America's Voice -- MENC's campaign to re-teach Americans to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" and to raise awareness of the importance of school music, The National Anthem Project launched in March 2005 and included major singing celebrations throughout our country -- at schools, professional sporting events and other local venues. The National Anthem Project encourages the celebration of school music annually -- nationwide on National Anthem Day, September 14, and in Washington DC in mid-June. 

Publications -- MENC offers more than 100 books, videos, and compact discs, as well as two general-interest magazines on music education and four more closely targeted journals. 

Public Relations Activities -- MENC has an ongoing commitment to reaching the public with information about music education through press releases, interviews, and radio public service announcements.

Partnerships --MENC forms partnerships with other organizations to advance the cause of music education. Projects include free online teacher's guides, early childhood music workshops and resources, special events, and more. Current and past partners include: the Jeep® brand, NAMM: International Music Products Association, Sesame Workshop, Texaco Foundation, National Schools Boards Association, ASCAP, VH1 Save the Music Foundation, BMI, Oscar Mayer, Gibson Musical Instruments, Baldwin Piano, National Association for the Education of Young Children, the Smithsonian Institution, Dole Foods, PBS, Pepsi-Cola, Hershey's, The United States Congress, The White House Commission on Remembrance, The Walt Disney Company, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Girl Scouts of the USA, The American Legion, and the History Channel.

Web Sites -- www.menc.org, www.musicfriends.org, www.thenationalanthemproject.org, and www.supportmusic.com

Headquarters --1806 Robert Fulton Drive, Reston, VA 20191
Phone: 703-860-4000
Toll-free: 800-336-3768
Fax: 703-860-1531

Last update: July 9, 2008