Welcome to
Sankofa Songs! Inc.
We are a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization
Our mission is to cultivate
exceptional Africentric arts
education practice.
PROfessional development
Sankofa Songs offers arts educators tools for growth through tailored workshops.
We accomplish our mandate by nurturing community among aspiring and experienced Africentric arts educators, providing professional development, producing events, spearheading research, and developing pedagogical tools that support K-12 arts educators and their instruction.
partnerships
Sankofa Songs collaborates with schools. community organizations, professional organizations, and more!
We envision a world in which all learners — from the youngest toddlers to the most esteemed scholars — acknowledge, embrace, celebrate, and engage the Africentric foundation of American culture and claim the heritage knowledge their forebears gifted them through the arts.
research
Sankofa Songs explores topics centering Africentric arts education.
Africentric arts education is for everyone; teachers and students of all races, ethnicities, and cultures can learn and benefit from these uniquely Africa-descended peoples’ practices! Whether you are an experienced veteran, new to the profession, a pre-service teacher, arts administrator, or teaching artist, engaging an Africentric arts education approach will transform your practice and motivate your students! We weave research, practical field experience, and an African American paradigm to provide all music and arts educators tools for successful work with all students in all communities.
Join us Tues. Feb. 20, 2024 at the Roxbury Public Library, 10:30-11:30 for…
Sankofa Stories: Lessons from Boston’s Iconic Africentric Music Educators
This is a FREE event!
Join us for Sankofa Stories: Lessons from Boston’s Iconic Africentric Music Educators on Tuesday Feb. 20th at 10:30 am at the Roxbury branch of the Boston Public Library, 149 Dudley Street, Boston, MA 02119. Expert panelists, iconic music educators, and participants will discuss Africentric music education and ways you can engage these powerful tools with your students. All are welcome to this FREE event.
Click here to see our Sankofa Stories program, panelists, and EXIT SURVEY.
Summer Institute
Sankofa Songs annual Summer Institute brings together Africentric arts educators from classrooms, colleges, and the community!
Summer Institute
July 17-19, 2024
View our Summer Institute page to learn about Sankofa Songs summer institute 2024 and to see photos of participants, activities, and more! At Sankofa Songs Summer Institute we teach, discuss, and reflect on culturally relevant strategies for teaching music of the African diaspora. Sankofa Songs: Lessons from Boston’s Iconic Africentric Music Educators, our 2024 theme, will provide a lens for exploring Africentric music education, existing pedagogical tools, creating pedagogical tools, examining relationships with culture-bearers, and more! Music educators will immerse themselves in highly effective teaching, learning, understanding, and participating through Africentic arts education.
Join us for Sankofa Songs!
Summer Institute July 17-19, 2024!
Group discussions provide participants opportunities to ‘unpack’ new ideas and explore opportunities for practical applications.
Hands-on workshops encourage learning at your own pace.
Sankofa Songs Summer Institute is a groundbreaking initiative that sets the stage for teaching and learning about music of the African diaspora with authenticity, context, and confidence. We unpack Black music traditions, modalities, and values and examine ways in which they are foundational to American culture. Teaching Black music and its culture as a core part of American music education will transform your practice.
Join us July 17-19, 2024!
For more information email swhitehope@sankofasongs.org.
Read our recent blog post, published by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME).