Music Teachers National Association (or MTNA) was founed in 1876 by Theodore Presser and sixty-two colleagues in Delaware, Ohio. The mission of Music Teachers National Association is to advance the value of music study and music making to society and to support the professionalism of music teachers. The association maintains two subsidiary programs: MTNA Professional Certification Programand the MTNA Foundation Fund. The Professional Certification Program exists to improve the level of professionalism within the field of applied music teaching and helps the public readily identify competent music teachers in their communities. The MTNA Foundation Fund supports programs to financially assist teachers and students with their educational pursuits while providing an opportunity for individual and corporate support of MTNA and its programs.