Diversity Fellowship in Children’s Literature

2/8/21 note: Due to COVID we have extended our inaugural Diversity Fellowship through the end of 2021 and have not begun 2022 planning. We invite you to apply for a variety of scholarships that support bringing a diverse group of students to our 2021 workshops. Find more info here.

The Highlights Foundation Diversity Fellowship in Children’s Literature is a 24-month professional development and mentorship program for people of color and Indigenous authors or illustrators who are actively pursuing publication within the children’s publishing industry.

    

Each Fellow will receive:

• A robust curriculum specifically intended for professional development, leading Fellows closer to publishing their work.
• A Mentor specifically selected and dedicated to one full year of one-to-one professional coaching to build the Fellow’s knowledge, skills, and aptitude in preparing their manuscript and/or art samples for submission.
• Full travel and tuition costs to attend the five workshops at the Highlights Foundation that make up this Fellowship.
• Opportunities to meet as a cohort for peer review, creative exchange, and community-building.
• Opportunities to meet industry professionals: published authors and illustrators, editors, art directors, and agents.

Program Structure:
Three immersive workshop experiences will be focused on goal-setting, with community-building activities centered around the craft of writing and illustrating for children and young adult audiences, a Mentor panel, industry insight how-to’s, work sessions, and roundtable discussions. These workshops will engage Fellows in enriched dialogue exploring the perspectives of marginalized voices and spend significant time exploring the craft of writing and illustrating as it relates to their own personal work.

Diversity Fellows will also enroll in two additional workshops of their choice from The Highlights Foundation’s 2019-2020 workshop catalog that allow Fellows the opportunity to customize their sessions to meet their specific writing and/or illustrating goals.

Download the press release (pdf)

Download program information (pdf)