About Us

The Highlights Foundation positively impacts children by amplifying the voices of storytellers who inform, educate, and inspire children to become their best selves.

Helping Storytellers Inspire Children Since 1985

Workshoppers Gathered Around a Table

“The Highlights Foundation launched my writing career… I signed my first book contract shortly after [my first workshop], and within a year, I’d signed eight more contracts. The Highlights Foundation changed my life, and I’m forever thankful.
– Linda Oatman High

For more than 35 years, the Highlights Foundation has embraced the core values that serve our mission: to positively impact children by amplifying the voices of storytellers who inform, educate, and inspire children to become their best selves.

Year after year, online and in-person, our programs, staff, faculty, and scholarships help us bring this mission to you. We offer a range of topics and types of courses, from no-cost webinars to week-long workshops to online intensives.

These offerings provide education, support, and encouragement for both beginning and published authors and illustrators, and are led by children’s publishing professionals: editors, authors, illustrators, art directors, publishers, agents, academics, and others who are there to help our community realize their creative goals.

We host our in-person workshops and retreats at our retreat center in Pennsylvania. Our offices are also located near the Highlights editorial office in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. (Learn more about the mission and history of Highlights for Children here.)

The Highlights Foundation is a public, not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization. We receive support from individuals, publishing companies, and other writers’ organizations who believe in our mission. Our scholarship program serves those who may not be able to bear the costs of our programs, and the majority of our named scholarship funds are endowed.

Join Us

We hope that you’ll join our community and help us fulfill our mission of inspiring children to become their best selves.

Get Started

From picture books to novels to nonfiction to poetry, tell your story and inspire a child.

Workshops for Writers & Illustrators

> Online
> In-Person
> On-Demand (Self-Paced Online)

New to the Highlights Foundation? Try these:

About Children's Publishing | The Whole Novel Workshop | Summer Camp

Questions?

Need help deciding on a workshop?  Ask an ambassador!

Visiting Our Campus

Our campus (The Barn at Boyds Mills) is tucked away in the foothills of the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.  It's a few hours from both New York City and Philadelphia, but worlds away from everyday life.

Line drawing of the Barn at Boyds Mills

Our Mission in Action

Scholarships
Equity & Inclusion in Kidlit
Sustainability

The Highlights Foundation positively impacts children by amplifying the voices of storytellers who inform, educate, and inspire children to become their best selves.  Learn more about our impact.

For Businesses & Organizations

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