This July, I was so ecstatic to return to the Boyds Mills campus (formerly known as The Highlights Foundation) in the Poconos of Pennsylvania to get back to work on kids’ books! The Summer Camp for Writers and Illustrators was calling my name. Both sessions had people I adore as faculty, but I ultimately decided on session 1 with Katie Mazeika, Daria Peoples, Valerie Bolling, Heidi E.Y. Stemple, Kat Yeh, Alex Villasante, and Emily Rosenthal. I already personally knew 2/3 of the faculty and I was sure these were people I’d love to spend time with and learn from again.

Mentors and Critique Groups

Each participant at summer camp was paired with a mentor and a critique group. I was so lucky to have the amazing Katie Mazeika as my mentor. Katie and I knew each other online, but had never met in-person. It was such a delight to spend time with Katie, receive her feedback and advice, and get to know each other better. Katie is the author and illustrator of books such as “Maybe Just Ask Me” and “Anette Feels Free”. Katie was a huge help in helping me find a solid direction for a manuscript and steps to improve my character design in illustrations. I am so grateful to her!

I also had the best little illustrator critique group, led by the awesome Emily Rosenthal (who also celebrated a recent book birthday with “Leroy Has Something to Say”). We shared manuscripts, art sketches, and story ideas with one another and were able to give each other meaningful and actionable feedback. I am so grateful to all of my critique group members, including Shadra Strickland, Chris Tebbetts, Salma Ali, Lesley Lim, and Chris Randall. We came from varying levels of experience and backgrounds, but that was one of the things that made this critique group so wonderful to work with. I loved seeing what everyone was working on and being part of their unique creative process.

Camaraderie and Support

Beyond the critique group and one-on-one mentor time, there was camaraderie and bonding with everyone attending summer camp. Plus, amazing breakout sessions and keynotes from the faculty that I found insightful and inspiring. To end the camp, we all took turns sharing some of our work during an open mic night. It was so lovely to hear bits of everyone’s stories and be able to stand up and share my own with an audience. I was nervous and anxious, but the feedback and encouragement I received afterwards was worth it.

To top it all off, Executive Director of Boyds Mills, George Brown took some of us on a special hike up to a beaver dam in the woods nearby. It was a magical early morning experience to see this exquisite piece of natural engineering. Plus, other nature sightings such as sun-lit spider webs, frogs, salamanders, and the beauty of Calkins Creek in the early morning light.

If you’re a children’s book creator and you ever have the opportunity to attend a workshop or personal retreat at Boyds Mills, take it! This place carries a magic that lifts creators up and moves them forward in a supportive, caring, and collaborative environment. Plus, the hospitality staff do the BEST job keeping you fed, housed, and cared for through your stay. I can’t say enough good things about them.

Ways to Support or be Supported by Boyds Mills

Boyds Mills holds a scholarship application period during the winter. If you’d love to come to campus, but don’t know how to make it happen, applying for a scholarship could be a path to try. They also offer payment plans if a scholarship isn’t in the cards for you, like they did for me.

If you love what Boyds Mills does to support children’s book creators, be sure to donate to help improve the campus and support scholarship programs!

Be sure to check out Boyds Mills’ list of upcoming workshops both online and on-campus.