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Phone:
(630) 418-9102
Young Authors
Program
The Young Authors Program helps Children from grade levels k-12 author books that provide useful information on enhancing life skills. This includes making healthy food choices, character building, etiquette, hygiene, and citizenship. Our proven learning system is designed to have total school and community involvement. Children receive the same message from mentors at home, school, and away from home, reinforcing each lesson taught through real-life experiences. This program allows parents to work side by side with their children as they learn basic lifelong skills.
Please contact us at The ICONS Foundation @ claudie@theiconsfoundation.org for more information.
Current Participants
The students below are enrolled in our Young Authors Program, and they are working on completing their first book.
The students below are enrolled in our Young Authors Program, and they are working on completing their first book.
The individuals below have completed our Young Authors program, and they have published their first book.
At 8 years old, I was presented the opportunity to undergo mentorship and write a book for The ICONS Foundation. The opportunity to experience empowerment as an African-American female at an early age was one that I could not decline. The ICONS Foundation promoted and uplifted education, living an active lifestyle, and the power of making healthy choices. All of these concepts were important to me early on as an aspiring student athlete. From the moment I was given the freedom to write the book until my last stop on my book tour, I was included in every step of the process and granted control to voice my opinions. Success for me was seeing the framework of my writing, finalized with illustrations, come together. I did not realize the extent of success in the eyes of others until another girl my age expressed wanting to do the same things one day. It was at that moment I learned that representation matters. In my career now as a sport administrator at the secondary level, I am still able to promote the very same values that The ICONS Foundations emphasized. I would encourage other students to experience life outside of their comfort zone. No matter what phase of life you are in, the fruits of labor from discomfort are worth it long term. While working with The ICONS Foundation, you can expect to come in with a vision and exit with a heightened sense of purpose.
Christyal Holloway-Parker
Executive Assistant—Arkansas Activities Association
I became aware of The ICONS Foundations via a Healthy Food drawing contest at Kozminski Elementary School in 4th grade.
I participated in this program to get the opportunity to enhance my creativity and writing skills in new venues.
Overall, I enjoyed the experience of writing the book and having someone create visuals to make my writing come to life. I also enjoyed the cooking class (especially learning to make healthy jambalaya) and getting the opportunity to introduce Rev. Jesse Jackson at Rainbow PUSH.
Currently, I am enrolled in a doctoral program at Indiana University. I am hoping to get a tenure-track job in academia teaching Gender Studies. My early experiences with creative writing helped spark my interest in essay writing which led me to graduate school.
In the end, I encourage students to try something new even if it does not seem like it is in their wheelhouse. I was not the best drawer then and I am not the best drawer now but attempting to draw led to opportunities that opened doors for me and helped me find my early passions and talents. Once one finishes the drawing contest, students should start thinking of story ideas and should be open to the reality of constructive criticism on their writing. It is not that people are trying to tell you that your writing sucks—they are just there to help you realize the potential in what is already written
Teresa Hoard-Jackson
Doctoral Student, Indiana University
As a teen, I was asked to participate in the Nurture Bear book series. I had a love for creative writing and thought that this would be an excellent way to blend writing with health and wellness. While in college, I was able to participate again but this time with short blogs re: different tenets of wellness. I wanted to participate because this was a way to put into practice ideas and principles that I was learning in my college programs while I pursued my degree in Health & Human Physiology.
I greatly valued that many of the programs I participated in were geared towards peer involvement. Books for kids written by kids created a sort of peer mentorship effect. It also inspired other kids to know that they too could create something for print. I also valued how the program was a collaborative effort that sought to preserve the creativity of the author while also upholding the standards of the mission and vision of the Foundation. Lastly, the program emphasized facts and evidence-based information.
The program coordinator kept in close communication, set deadlines when necessary, gave constructive feedback, and asked questions to ensure we were both on the same page. Resources were also made available if needed.
My work with the program was an enlightening experience. Having the opportunity to work with it during different stages of my life allowed my involvement to evolve as my own education, life experiences, and professional goals developed. It’s fun to see how as a teen I was able to write a book on nutrition and then as an adult have progressed to writing research articles for medical journals. The Foundation and its programs in part set the foundation for certain aspects of my career that no one could have predicted at the time.
It prepared me to expand on health constructs in writing and how to take health information and make it accessible to a community audience. This is a vital part of what I do today in my job as an Occupational Therapist. My work with the Foundation also lent itself to supporting my experiential learning when applying to undergraduate and graduate universities.
Advice: Think outside the box, be creative with your work but also prioritize the facts surrounding your topic, be considerate of your audience. Expectations: Expect an experience that will stick with you and potentially positively impact your future endeavors in college and career.
Sarah Brzeskiewicz,
MS,OTR/L
Occupational Therapist
St. David’s Medical Center, Austin, TX
