A music teacher from Omaha Public Schools is one of only 30 teachers nationwide and the only teacher in Nebraska recognized by the CMA Foundation for excellence in music education.

Sara Cowan of Central High earned a place among the CMA Foundation’s Music Teachers of Excellence for 2022. She will join other honorees at the organization’s annual Music Teachers of Excellence Awards ceremony on October 19.

The invite-only event will honor music educators from across the country for their dedication and commitment to music education in their classrooms and school community.

The CMA Foundation created the Music Teachers of Excellence program in 2016 to recognize the best and brightest music teachers from Nashville and beyond. Award recipients are selected because of their dedication to bringing a quality music program to their students and the impact they’ve had on their school community through music.

Cowan, a Central High alum, has taught at the school for ten years. She said she enjoys seeing growth and transformation in students over time. Students build music skills in her class, but they also work on communicating, conveying emotions, relying on one another and connecting to many different cultures and time periods.

“Year after year, my students impress me with how they rise to these challenges and engage with music, audiences, and each other in deep and meaningful ways,” said Cowan.

In addition to a night of celebration, Cowan will receive $2,500 from the CMA Foundation to invest in her music classroom to help drive the program forward and an additional $2,500 as a personal stipend.

The CMA Foundation is the national music education nonprofit and the philanthropic arm of the Country Music Association.