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Asian and Asian American Voices: An In-Community Retreat

Highlights Foundation Campus 392 Boyds Mills Road, Milanville, PA

This retreat is currently waitlisted. You can join the waitlist here. We are also holding scholarship spots; find more info about applying for a scholarship here.About the Program Join hosts Grace Lin and Debbi Michiko Florence, and fellow storytellers for this in-community retreat where much of the time is for your own creativity. How It’s […]

$850

Jewish Symposium: An In-Community Gathering for Jewish Writers and Illustrators

Highlights Foundation Campus 392 Boyds Mills Road, Milanville, PA

This 4-Day/3-Night in-community symposium engages in the rich and important discussions of what it means to grow as Jewish writers, tending to our Jewish joy with care, intention, and faith. There will be ample time for your own work and community building throughout this program. This is an in-person symposium for Jewish storytellers and professionals […]

$1050

Working Retreat: Nonfiction and Informational Fiction

Highlights Foundation Campus 392 Boyds Mills Road, Milanville, PA

Overview In-person 4-Day/3-Night Working Retreat Join Heidi Stemple, Andrea Page, and editor Eileen Robinson for time to create and connect with fellow nonfiction writers. This Working Retreat is lightly structured with one lecture each day, informal conversations, optional consultations with faculty, and plenty of time to create in the comfort and care of the Highlights […]

$1199

Working Retreat: Novelists and Graphic Novelists

Highlights Foundation Campus 392 Boyds Mills Road, Milanville, PA

Overview In-person 4-Day/3-Night Working Retreat Novelists and Graphic Novelists, join Julie C. Dao and Wendy Xu for time to create and connect during a retreat built just for you.  A Working Retreat is lightly structured with one lecture each day, informal conversations, optional consultations with faculty, and plenty of time to create in the comfort […]

$1199

Working Retreat: Spark Inspiration with Meditation and Creative Play

Highlights Foundation Campus 392 Boyds Mills Road, Milanville, PA

Overview In-person 4-Day/3-Night Working Retreat Join Kekla Magoon and Laurie Calkhoven for a retreat built to spark inspiration through meditation and creative play, and then give you time to harness that spark in your own projects.  A “Working Retreat” is lightly structured with one lecture each day, generative activities, optional consultations with faculty, and plenty […]

$1199

Working Retreat: Writing for the Educational Market

Highlights Foundation Campus 392 Boyds Mills Road, Milanville, PA

Overview In-person 4-Day/3-Night Working Retreat Are you currently writing for the educational market, or would you like to learn how to produce content for educational publishers? Here is a special retreat just for you. Join writers and editors Jan Fields, Paula Morrow, and their special guest, editor Katie Kawa, to discuss the opportunities welcoming writers into […]

$1199

Working Retreat: Poetry and Poetry Anthologies

Highlights Foundation Campus 392 Boyds Mills Road, Milanville, PA

Overview In-person 4-Day/3-Night Working Retreat Join celebrated poets Charles Waters, Irene Latham, and their guests for time to create and connect during this Working Retreat. We invite writers with a passion for solo poetry collections, poetry anthologies, stand alone poems, and more for an immersive experience where productivity meets inspiration! A Working Retreat is lightly structured […]

$1199

Black Voices: An In-Community Retreat for Storytellers

Highlights Foundation Campus 392 Boyds Mills Road, Milanville, PA

Join Valerie Bolling and fellow storytellers for this in-community retreat for Black writers and illustrators. About the Program This 3-night/4-day retreat thrives within a welcoming community, designed to spark your creativity and foster connections with fellow storytellers. This retreat provides a loosely structured environment, allowing you ample time and space to engage in writing, illustrating, […]

$850

Summer Camp in Illustration: Intensive Artistic Inspiration

Highlights Foundation Campus 392 Boyds Mills Road, Milanville, PA

Overview In-person 4-Day/3-Night Workshop and Retreat Get away for four days at our Summer Camp in Illustration for inspiration, guidance, support, community, fun, creativity, and growth. At the Highlights Foundation, “summer camp” is different than s’mores by the fire and hiking in the woods. (Though we do that, too.) Our summer camp is a time […]

$1549

Summer Camp in Writing: Create and Dream!

Highlights Foundation Campus 392 Boyds Mills Road, Milanville, PA

Overview In-person 5-Day/4-Night Workshop and Retreat Get away for five days at our Summer Camp in Writing for fiction and nonfiction storytellers who are looking for inspiration, guidance, mentorship, community, fun, creativity, and...a place to dream! At the Highlights Foundation, “summer camp” is different than S’mores by the fire and hiking in the woods. (Though […]

$1649

Neurodiverse Writers and Illustrators: An In-Community Retreat for Storytellers

Highlights Foundation Campus 392 Boyds Mills Road, Milanville, PA

Join this 3-night/4-day in-community retreat thoughtfully hosted by Sona Charaipotra, Lyn Miller-Lachmann, and Katie Mazeika. About the Program Join us for an in-community retreat tailored for neurodivergent writers and illustrators, where you can fully embrace your perspectives and talents in a welcoming and inclusive environment. Connect with storytellers and make progress on your own work. […]

$850

Whole Novel Workshop: An In-Person Retreat for Novelists (August)

Highlights Foundation Campus 392 Boyds Mills Road, Milanville, PA

Overview In-person 6-Day/5-Night Workshop and Retreat with a Full Novel Critique Included This intensive, transformative Whole Novel Workshop offers writers the rare opportunity to have the entire draft (up to 80,000 words) of a novel read by faculty, with detailed written feedback and two private consultations provided. Attention in an intimate setting makes this program […]

$2799

Native Creatives: An In-Community Retreat

Highlights Foundation Campus 392 Boyds Mills Road, Milanville, PA

“Time with fellow Native creatives helps sustain me along this author’s journey. I look forward to a weekend together to share our stories, write, create art, and talk practically about how we navigate the publishing industry.” —Traci Sorell (Cherokee Nation) Join this 4-night/5-day writing retreat designed for Native and Indigenous Voices who (or who aspire to) write, illustrate, or […]

$1050

Working Retreat: Experienced Storytellers In-Company

Highlights Foundation Campus 392 Boyds Mills Road, Milanville, PA

Overview In-person 5-Day/4-Night Working Retreat This retreat for experienced authors and illustrators has been thoughtfully crafted to share, grow, and cultivate creativity when you've been working in the industry for a long time. Come in-company with your peers about your career, challenges, deadlines, upcoming projects, and new dreams. A “Working Retreat” is lightly structured with […]

$1399

Working Retreat: Lyrical Picture Books and Poetry

Highlights Foundation Campus 392 Boyds Mills Road, Milanville, PA

Overview In-person 4-Day/3-Night Working Retreat This program is a celebration of words: lyrical, poetic, pun-tastic words! Join an exceptional group of picture book creatives, including Sudipta Bardhan-Quallan, Georgia Heard, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, and Leeza Hernandez to create and connect during this Working Retreat. With sessions on lyrical word choice, rhyme (or not), leaving room for […]

$1199

Working Retreat: Novels in Verse

Highlights Foundation Campus 392 Boyds Mills Road, Milanville, PA

Overview In-person 4-Day/3-Night Working Retreat Verse Novelists, Novelists, and Poets, join Rajani LaRocca and Chris Baron for time to create and connect during a retreat built just for you.  A Working Retreat is lightly structured with one lecture each day, informal conversations, optional consultations with faculty, and plenty of time to create in the comfort […]

$1199

Working Retreat: Chapter Books and Early Readers

Highlights Foundation Campus 392 Boyds Mills Road, Milanville, PA

Overview In-person 4-Day/3-Night Working Retreat Join Debbi Michiko Florence, Kashmira Sheth, and guests for time to create and connect during this "Working Retreat." A “Working Retreat” is lightly structured with one lecture each day, informal conversations, optional consultations with faculty, and plenty of time to create in the comfort and care of the Highlights Foundation retreat […]

$1199

Whole Novel Workshop: An In-Person Retreat for Novelists (October)

Highlights Foundation Campus 392 Boyds Mills Road, Milanville, PA

Overview In-person 6-Day/5-Night Workshop and Retreat with a Full Novel Critique Included This intensive, transformative Whole Novel Workshop offers writers the rare opportunity to have the entire draft (up to 80,000 words) of a novel read by faculty, with detailed written feedback and two private consultations provided. Attention in an intimate setting makes this program […]

$2799

Latinx Voices: An In-Community Retreat for Storytellers

Highlights Foundation Campus 392 Boyds Mills Road, Milanville, PA

Join M. García Peña, NoNieqa Ramos, and Alex Villasante for their fifth annual, in-community retreat designed exclusively for Latinx writers and illustrators. About the Program This 3-night/4-day, in-community retreat is the space where you can ignite your creativity and forge connections with a diverse and supportive community of fellow storytellers in the Latine Diaspora. This […]

$850

Rainbow Retreat: An In-Community Retreat for Storytellers

Highlights Foundation Campus 392 Boyds Mills Road, Milanville, PA

Join this 3-night/4-day, in-community retreat thoughtfully designed to bring LGBTQIA2S+ creatives together. It is an informally structured retreat where the focus is on your own projects with room to celebrate and cultivate the joys of this community! About the Program Experience our in-community Rainbow Retreat that warmly welcomes queer and questioning authors and illustrators who […]

$850

Working Retreat: Picture Book Authors and Illustrators

Highlights Foundation Campus 392 Boyds Mills Road, Milanville, PA

Overview In-person 4-Day/3-Night Working Retreat Picture book writers and illustrators: set aside time to focus on your picture book project! Here is a special retreat just for you. Join fiction and nonfiction author Darcy Pattison, author/illustrator Leslie Helakoski, and their guest Sara Gomez Woolley to immerse yourself in all things picture books.  A Working Retreat is […]

$1199

Working Retreat: Revision

Highlights Foundation Campus 392 Boyds Mills Road, Milanville, PA

Overview In-person 4-Day/3-Night Working Retreat Join celebrated editors Emma Dryden, Eileen Robinson, and Harold Underdown for time to revise and connect during this "Working Retreat" for writers looking to reimagine, enliven, and rebuild their picture books, novels, or nonfiction. A “Working Retreat” is lightly structured with one lecture each day, informal conversations, optional consultations with faculty, […]

$1199

Our Mission in Action

Share Your Story, Inspire a Child
Scholarships
Equity & Inclusion in Kidlit
Partners & Sponsors

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.