Highlights Foundation Scholarship Success Stories
Hi/Lo Fiction: A Scholarship Helps Writer Create Books For Struggling and Reluctant Readers
Jennifer Liss specializes in writing fiction for struggling and reluctant readers. She says: "In 2022, I was the honored recipient of the Lee Bennett Hopkins Scholarship, which I used to attend Middle Grade Writers: A Generative Retreat Experience. While I was on...
From A Career Change, to Nearly 100 Published Books: Paying It Forward with Christine Taylor-Butler
Nearly 25 years ago, Christine Taylor-Butler attended her first Highlights Foundation workshop. Today, she’s published nearly 100 books and supports a special scholarship in her and husband Ken’s name at the Highlights Foundation. This is her story. In early 2000, I...
Two Scholarship Recipients Explore Craft Amidst the Serenity, Escape of In-Community Retreat
In July, the Highlights Foundation hosted the 4-day Black Voices Retreat, an in-community retreat for Black storytellers. With a loosely structured environment, in-community retreats are designed to offer creatives time and space to engage in writing, illustrating,...
Two Writers Unlock progress on their Novels Through Revision and Their Whole Novel Workshop Scholarships
Brinda Shah and Trenise C. Ferreira joined us for an online Whole Novel Workshop as General Scholarship recipients. Through the scholarship, both writers found value in developing their revisions skills with input from faculty. Trenise says, "I gained an experience,...
Two Illustrators Find Fuel Through Craft & Community with Summer Camp Scholarships
Lynnor Bontigao: The Kidlitwomen* Scholarship Kidlit friends told Lynnor about Highlights but she knew she couldn't afford it. She shared with us: "To me, it was a luxury. I've seen people in my circle announce getting a scholarship, so I checked it out online and...
Middle Grade Writer Learns Character Development Strategies & Builds Community Through a General Scholarship
Diane Mittler is a kidlit writer who draws inspiration for her work from her experiences, including dealing with a mobility impairment, her career in education, and a lifetime of family fun and cherished memories. As a recipient of a General Scholarship, she...
Scholarship Recipient Navigates Career Next Steps with Support at the Highlights Foundation
Omar on campus with S.K. AliFrom Omar's time on campusThanks to funding from the Doris Duke Foundation (DDF), the Highlights Foundation is able to host programming to support Muslim Storytelling through 2025. Through the Building Bridges Program, DDF works to elevate...
Scholarship Recipient Makes Significant Progress on a Middle Grade Draft + New Community Connections
Nancy So Miller with Executive Director George Brown in front of the Art Wall. "Having the opportunity to write that story in a space where I felt accepted and that my story mattered meant a great deal to me." (Nancy So Miller) Nancy So Miller came to the Highlights...
Author-Illustrator Finds Support and Validation Through a Scholarship and Personal Retreat
Andrea Cruz Floren (left) is pictured here on a personal retreat, with Zara González Hoang (center) and Executive Director George Brown (right). Zara was Andrea's mentor in the Las Musas mentorship program, and they were excited to share time together again at the...
Cathryn Brenner: New Tools and Confidence in the Next Steps Toward Helping Young Readers & Mathematicians
Cathryn Brenner is a semi-retired elementary school teacher with a passion for supporting struggling young readers and mathematicians. The James Cross Giblin Scholarship helped her attend this year's Working Retreat for Nonfiction and Informational Ficton writers,...