The Hastings College Departments of Music and Teacher Education have recently been selected to participate in the Music-in-Education National Consortium (MIENC). MIENC was formed in 2000 as a confederation of major schools of music, schools of education, arts organizations and public school partnerships to promote the evolution of music teaching and learning practices, advocacy, research and policy, so that music can provide its essential contribution to promoting a culture of equity and excellence in every school.
Hastings College will partner with Watson and Morton Schools in the Hastings Public Schools system, working to integrate and utilize consortium practices in everyday teaching to positively impact student learning. Hastings College will also include the work of the consortium in the training of pre-service Elementary Education and Music Education Majors.
Currently twelve school/city sites participate in the MIENC: New York, N.Y., Boston, Mass., Minneapolis, Minn., Oakland, Calif., Atlanta, Ga., Chicago, Ill., Fresno, Calif., Tucson, Ariz., Los Angeles, Calif., Mankato, Minn., and Hastings, Neb. Hastings College and Hastings Public School were identified as a consortium site to represent liberal arts education partners as well as rural communities in national public education.  Robin Koozer, professor of music and chair of the Hastings College Department of Music, began investigating the possible role of MIENC with HPS and HC early this year.
“It seemed like a perfect fit for the College and the local schools. This is a very exciting collaboration for Hastings,” Koozer said. “MIENC will bring college and public school music educators, elementary educators, administrators and collegiate teacher education faculty together to look at possibilities to use music to teach other subjects and those subjects to teach music.  This approach doesn’t leave collaborative efforts to chance, it includes careful planning that will benefit student learning. Additionally, MIENC membership consists of some very prestigious universities and conservatories. Hastings College is the only private, liberal arts college in the consortium. That makes us all pretty proud.”
MIENC is a division of the Center for Music-in-Education, located in New York City. The Center publishes “The Journal for Music-in-Education” and other research reports dealing with the effect of music and music integrated teaching and learning in schools.
Hastings College, founded in 1882, is a private, four-year liberal arts institution affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). A total of 64 majors in 32 areas of study and 12 pre-professional programs are offered to more than 1,150 students. Hastings College was named among “America’s Best Colleges” by Forbes.com and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity. It was named a 2011 “Best in the Midwest” by The Princeton Review and rated a “Best Buy in College Education” by Barron’s. Visit www.hastings.edu for more information.

For more information, contact Robin Koozer at (402) 461-7448.