Programs that Work: Idaho MEA’s Mentoring Initiative

Join Rob Lyda, Co-Chair of NAfME’s Supporting New Teachers Working Group, along with Idaho Music Educators Association (MEA) mentoring program leaders Rebecca Martin, Vanessa Perala, and Megan Olswanger, as they share insights from their successful mentoring initiative that unites the policy efforts of the Idaho Department of Education and the Idaho MEA. The session will conclude with an interactive Q&A, providing attendees the opportunity to engage directly with the panelists and explore practical strategies for supporting new music educators.

Rob Lyda has taught a variety of instrumental, vocal, and general music courses for students ranging from pre-kindergarten through graduate study. A passionate advocate for music education, he has consistently worked to improve music education at the local, state, and national levels. Currently, he serves on NAfME’s Music Teacher Profession Advisory Committee and Professional Learning and Partnerships Committee, as Immediate Past Chair of NAfME’s Council for General Music Education, Immediate Past President of Alabama MEA, and as a member of the Alabama State Council on the Arts.

Rebecca Martin is Education Director for Arts Idaho where she facilitates the Arts Education Alliance of Idaho, the Arts Learning Lab (a statewide professional learning community), and strives to align start arts education grants to K-12 initiatives. A violinist, she was a string educator for 16 years, most recently in the Wood River Valley in Hailey, Idaho. At the Idaho Department of Education, she served as an Education Coordinator for the Content and Curriculum Team where she oversaw Arts, World Languages, Physical Education, Health, and Gifted and Talented. She facilitated the Arts and World Languages Standards review in 2024 and served on the executive team for both SEADAE (State Arts) and CSDPG (State Gifted and Talented). In her tenure she secured funding for arts education professional development for teachers and helped create the IMEA (Music) Mentorship program.

Meghan Fay Olswanger is the Director of Bands at Boise High School; she has 17 years of experience teaching high school band. She has served as Idaho Music Educators Association District III Band Chair, Idaho State Band Chair, and Tau Beta Sigma National Honorary Band Sorority Western District Counselor. A frequently requested master teacher and clinician/adjudicator, she has developed and facilitated many professional development sessions over the past decade for her school districts and state level music organizations. In 2021, she was selected as the Idaho Music Educator of the Year. She hold a bachelor’s degree from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and a Master of Music from Sam Houston State University. She is currently a co-chair for the Idaho Mentorship Program-Music Cohort.

Vanessa Perala has taught music in public schools for 20 years. She earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Boise State University in 2002, then spent the first 12 years of her career teaching at Mountain View High School in Meridian, Idaho, as the director of bands and orchestras. She earned her Master of Instrumental Conducting from the University of Utah in 2018. She has spent the last eight years teaching elementary and junior high orchestra in the Boise School District. She has served as a cooperating teacher for multiple student teachers, is an active clinician, adjudicator, and presenter and is a co-chair for the Idaho Mentorship Program-Music Cohort.

NAfME presents this live virtual event at no charge to all as a service to the music education profession. To register, you must enter your NAfME member information or create a nonmember account. After registering, check your email for instructions. A recording of this program will be available to all registrants for one week following the live event. Members can also view archived NAfME webinars in the NAfME Academy.

The views expressed are those of the presenter; they do not necessarily reflect the views of NAfME.