Emerging Leaders

Mission Statement: The FMEA Emerging Leaders Program encourages and builds leadership in the classroom, school, local community, school district, state, and beyond by cultivating relationships, maximizing potential, and expanding servant leader opportunities for Florida's future world changers.

Emerging Leaders Application

Dedicated and engaged leadership is integral at all levels of the music education profession. The FMEA Emerging Leaders program has been designed to encourage and develop leadership in the classroom, school, local community, school district, state, and beyond. We are proud of the committed, hard-working, and enthusiastic music educators who have been and continue to be involved in the FMEA Emerging Leaders program.

This FMEA initiative provides support, guidance, and opportunity for outstanding music educators who demonstrate exemplary teaching and the potential and propensity for professional leadership. Educators selected for this program participate in various leadership development opportunities to enhance and utilize their abilities in all aspects of music education.

Initiated in 2004, the program has served more than 500 promising future education leaders. Each FMEA Emerging Leader is paired with an FMEA music educator/leader or previously identified Emerging Leader who serves as a mentor. Dr. Dakeyan C. Graham (Dr. Dré), 2020 Florida Teacher of the Year, serves as the director of this program. This program builds skills for school-based, regional, state, and national leadership. Developing advocacy skills to promote music and arts education is a central component. The FMEA Emerging Leaders Program is built on the following three pillars:

• Service: The development of true leadership is the foundation of this program. FMEA Emerging Leaders are expected to take advantage of leadership opportunities through service opportunities.
• Individual Growth and Development: The FMEA Emerging Leaders Program is committed to cultivating each member's growth and development. Through participation in this program, each member will be elevated to continue the pursuit of the best version of themselves.
• Discipleship and Mentorship: Great leaders do not inspire others by demonstrating their superpower; they create other leaders by helping them to highlight and embrace theirs. The third pillar of the FMEA Emerging Leaders is paramount in training future leaders while continuing to develop the mentality of a servant leader.

The development of FMEA Conference presentation skills is also emphasized and exercised through the “PechaKucha” session in which Emerging Leaders share ideas as part of the annual FMEA Conference. Emerging Leaders will also have opportunities to network and build relationships with local, state, and national leaders in music education.

Emerging leaders apply for participation in this prestigious program. ELs have demonstrated effectiveness and impact as music educators, teaching at all levels of instruction and in all forms of music education. These educators have been identified as emergent leaders with the potential for expanded leadership in music education in their schools, districts, state, and beyond.

There are three primary leadership development opportunities within this program:

• The Annual Summer Emerging Leaders Leadership Conference is a one-day workshop held each June. Participation in this session is essential to the Emerging Leaders program and serves as both the conclusion and springboard to the Cohort experience.
• Emerging Leaders hosts two special sessions at the FMEA Conference. The annual Coffee and Conversation time allows Emerging Leaders to meet and talk informally with FMEA Board members, Conference presenters, and National (NAfME) leaders. On Friday afternoon, FMEA Emerging Leaders hosts a unique presentation of their ideas in a PechaKucha format.
• Monthly Cohort Collabs and periodic coaching sessions provide opportunities to grow one’s music education network through the connection with local, state, and national leaders in music education, as well as focus on various problems of practice in the current academic environment. There are also opportunities for Individual Leadership Mentors to coach, provide leadership pathways, and more as needed, requested, and/or possible.

We invite all FMEA Members to apply. Deadline: March 15

Emerging Leaders Application

We look forward to welcoming YOU into the FMEA Emerging Leaders family.

2025 Summer Leadership Conference

June 27, 2025
Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate
More details coming soon.