The annual WITNESS Teacher Orientation will take place from 10 AM – 1:00 PM on Saturday, September 26, 2026 at Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis. 

Register for the 2026-2027 VocalEssence WITNESS Teacher Orientation today!

Participating schools are required to send at least one participating teacher, but all participating teachers are encouraged to attend.

Cost to attend: FREE!

Registration: Pre-register your attendance to help us prepare!

At orientation, teachers will:

• Spend some time connecting with one another and spend some time engaging with this year’s program theme of The Poet Sings Ubuntu: I Am because We Are
• Get to know our 2026-27 WITNESS Teaching Artists
• Discuss Orchestra Hall YPC protocols and bussing
• Review aspects of the workshop/residency scheduling and planning process
• Receive guidance on navigating our Classroom Resource Hub for lesson plans and materials
• Enjoy snacks and refreshments
• Earn up to 3 clock hours of CEU credit

VocalEssence WITNESS Resources

Participating teachers have free access to a selection of lesson plans and activities that will engage students in this year’s program theme, The Poet Sings Ubuntu: I Am because We Are. Lesson plans, activities and other audio/visual resources will be available this fall via the online VocalEssence Classroom Resource Hub, which teachers will be able to access via a special web link that will be forthcoming.

To access the Classroom Resource Hub, you need to be a registered Partner School. If you are a current Partner School teacher, please contact emma@vocalessence.org for access.

Students and teachers are given the opportunity to learn from our VocalEssence Teaching Artists through live, in-class workshops. Teaching Artists explore the yearly program theme through the lens of their artistic discipline, creating an integrative academic experience for students combining the study of African American culture with art, music, social studies, literature, character building, and other areas of school curriculum.

Booking your Teaching Artist

The primary contact teacher will receive an email from VocalEssence Learning and Engagement staff with a link to the Workshop/Residency request form, where teachers will submit their preferred workshop dates, class schedule and other information that will assist with the scheduling process, as well as share what they hope their students will gain from this experience. VocalEssence staff will then pair the school with an appropriate Teaching Artist who will be a good fit for that school.

All participating teachers are expected to attend a planning meeting with the selected Teaching Artist, at least 2-3 weeks in advance of the first workshop date to allow plenty of time for planning and preparation.

VocalEssence will provide the Teaching Artist with a checklist of important questions and discussion topics that will help guide the planning meeting conversation, preparing everyone for the workshop experience and bringing everyone onto the same page with shared learning goals and expectations. A signed copy of the planning checklist will need to be emailed back to Emma Jirele at emma@vocalessence.org following the planning meeting.

We are delighted to present the 2027 WITNESS Young People’s Concert at Orchestra Hall in downtown Minneapolis as part of their Student Matinee series!

Join us for an immersive, 50-minute, participatory musical experience. WITNESS: The Poet Sings Ubuntu: I Am because We Are will explore how social change evolves through music and poetry. Students will work with Teaching Artists to study historical griots of West Africa alongside present-day griots such as spoken word artist and rapper NUR-D. The Young People’s Concerts will feature VocalEssence Teaching Artists, VocalEssence Chorus and Ensemble Singers, SOTA (Singers Of This Age) teen choir, Vintage Voices older adult choir, and special guest artists.

The VocalEssence WITNESS Young People’s Concerts at Northrop will take place on Friday, February 26, 2027 at 10:00 AM and 11:35 AM. If demand requires, an additional performance will be added at 1:15 PM.

• Cost: $0.00/ticket – tickets are FREE!
• For the VocalEssence WITNESS student matinee, we are offering free tickets instead of bus reimbursement. If you are facing a financial barrier to securing bussing for the concert, please email emma@vocalessence.org and we will be happy to work with you on a case-by-case basis to provide some support.

Register for the 2026-2027 VocalEssence WITNESS School Program today!