Hennepin Arts announces 107 schools participating in its Spotlight Education program for the 2026-2027 school year
Nearly 8,000 Minnesota students benefit from arts education, professional feedback and performance opportunities through Spotlight Education
MINNEAPOLIS (Oct. 13, 2026) — Hennepin Arts today announced that 107 schools in communities across Minnesota will participate in its Spotlight Education program for the 2026-2027 school year, providing nearly 8,000 students with high-quality theater education, professional feedback and opportunities to develop critical skills both onstage and behind the scenes.
Spotlight Education supports high school theater programs in communities throughout Minnesota, connecting students and schools across the state with professional expertise, educational resources and meaningful performance opportunities. Through production assessments, workshops and other learning experiences, the program strengthens theater education while expanding access to high-quality arts education for students across Minnesota.
“Hennepin Arts is reaching students in every corner of Minnesota and changing lives through the arts,” said Ari Koehnen Sweeney, Vice President of Arts Education & Partnerships at Hennepin Arts. “Through Spotlight Education, young people are finding their voice, building confidence, discovering a sense of belonging and developing skills that will help them succeed in school, in their careers and throughout their lives. We’re proud that this work is reaching thousands of students in communities across our state.”
Throughout the school year, participating schools receive constructive feedback and formal recognition educational workshops and opportunities to learn from theater professionals. These experiences celebrate students’ work while building skills in collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and self-expression.
The yearlong program culminates with Spotlight Showcase June 14-15, 2027, bringing students from communities throughout Minnesota together to celebrate high school theater. More than 1,200 students will take the stage at the historic State Theatre as part of the annual celebration.
2026-27 Spotlight Education Participating Schools Andover High School Anoka High School Apple Valley High School Armstrong High School (Plymouth) Avail Academy High School (Fridley) Barnesville High School Belle Plaine Junior-Senior High Bemidji High School Benilde-St. Margaret's School (St. Louis Park) Blaine High School Breck School (Golden Valley) Burnsville High School Cambridge-Isanti High School Centennial High School (Circle Pines) Champlin Park High School Chanhassen High School Chaska High School Chisago Lakes High School (Lindstrom) Columbia Heights High School Coon Rapids High School Cretin-Derham Hall High School (St. Paul) Delano High School DeLaSalle High School (Minneapolis) Duluth Denfeld High School Duluth East High School East Central Senior High School (Finlayson) East Ridge High School (Woodbury) Eden Prairie High School Edina High School Elk River High School Farmington High School Forest Lake Area High School Fridley High School Glencoe-Silver Lake High School Great River School (St. Paul) Hand in Hand Christian Montessori (Wayzata) Hill-Murray School (Maplewood) Hopkins High School Houston High School Hutchinson High School Irondale High School (New Brighton) Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton High School Kasson-Mantorville Senior High School Kennedy High School (Bloomington) La Crescent-Hokah High School Lakes International Language Academy (Forest Lake) Lakeville North High School Lakeville South High School Legacy Christian Academy (Andover) Little Falls Community High School Mahtomedi High School Marshall School (Duluth) Math and Science Academy (Woodbury) Mayo High School (Rochester) Minneapolis Washburn High School Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis) Minnetonka High School Minnewaska Area High School (Glenwood) Mora High School Mounds View High School (Arden Hills) New Prague High School North Branch Area High School Northfield High School Orono High School (Long Lake) Owatonna High School Park High School (Cottage Grove) Perpich Arts High School (Golden Valley) PiM Arts High School (Eden Prairie) Pine Island High School Prior Lake High School (Savage) Randolph High School Richfield Senior High School Rock Ridge High School (Virginia) Rogers High School Roosevelt High School (Minneapolis) Rosemount High School Saint John's Preparatory School (Collegeville) Sartell High School Shakopee High School Simley High School (Inver Grove Heights) South St. Paul Secondary School Southwest Christian High School (Chaska) Spectrum High School (Elk River) Spring Lake Park High School St. Croix Preparatory Academy (Stillwater) St. Francis High School St. Louis Park High School St. Michael-Albertville High School St. Paul Academy and Summit School St. Paul Central High School St. Peter High School Stillwater Area High School (Oak Park Heights) Tartan High School (Oakdale) Tech High School (St. Cloud) The Blake School (Minneapolis) Thomas Edison High School (Minneapolis) Thomas Jefferson High School (Bloomington) Totino-Grace High School (Fridley) Triton High School (Dodge Center) Two Rivers High School (Mendota Heights) VISTA Productions (Visitation School and Saint Thomas Academy) (Mendota Heights) Wabasha-Kellogg High School Waconia High School Wayzata High School Westonka High School (Mound) White Bear Lake Area High School Woodbury High School
About Spotlight Education Hennepin Arts’ Spotlight Education program enriches arts education for nearly 8,000 students in communities throughout Minnesota each year, providing equitable access to quality theater education and opportunities for students to develop critical skills through the arts. Through production assessments, educational experiences and performance opportunities, Spotlight serves students and high school theater programs across the state.
The 2026-27 Spotlight Education season will culminate with Spotlight Showcase June 14-15, 2027 at the historic State Theatre in Minneapolis, bringing together more than 1,200 students from communities across Minnesota to perform and celebrate high school theater.
The Spotlight Education program is funded, in part, by the Minnesota State Arts Board through the arts and cultural heritage fund as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the Legacy Amendment vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.
Hennepin Arts drives cultural and economic vitality in Minnesota through leadership of the dynamic Hennepin Theatre District in downtown Minneapolis and educational programming that reaches every area of the state. Its historic theatres — Orpheum, State and Pantages — and the Dudley Riggs Theatre light up Hennepin Avenue with top-tier entertainment, including the best of Broadway and a wide variety of arts programming. Hennepin Arts is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at HennepinArts.org.
This activity is made possible by voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.