More than 40 Palm Beach County Students Join Ninth Annual Workshop

MELVILLE, N.Y. – Canon Solutions America, Inc., a subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., Inc., announced today the launch of its ninth annual Future Authors Project, a private-public partnership with the School District of Palm Beach County, Florida. Nearly 400 students have benefited from this unique program, which was created to help students learn about the processes of writing, editing, and digitally publishing books.

More than 40 middle and high school students have been chosen from nearly 100 applicants to participate in a free eight-day summer writing workshop held at both Don Estridge Middle School in Boca Raton and Glades Central High School in Belle Glade, where students participate via distant learning technology. Throughout the workshop, students spend time with teachers, authors, and previous participants to practice creating pieces in various genres. Their writings are then compiled, professionally published, and digitally printed in final book form by Canon Solutions America.

Published authors and writers donate their time to share experiences and writing tips. The 2014 writers  include poet Dwight Stewart; Jennifer Tormo, the editor of Gulfstream Media Group’s seven magazines; Zelda Benjamin, a pediatric emergency room nurse and romance author; and Steve Alten, the author of 12 novels and advocate for teen reading.

According to director of marketing, Production Print Solutions division of Canon Solutions America, Eric Hawkinson, the Future Authors Project has been a source of great pride and inspiration for the company and the community. “We are honored to be able to offer students who have a passion for writing a fun and educational experience that culminates with the real-life opportunity to be published,” he said.

He added that the printed book remains a popular medium, especially with digital printing technologies revolutionizing the book publishing business. “Publishers can now cost-effectively print books in run lengths anywhere from one to 10,000, creating exciting opportunities for anyone who dreams of becoming an author, especially our own future authors,” said Hawkinson.

Director of Secondary Education for the School District of Palm Beach County Diana Fedderman, who manages this public-private partnership for the District, says that programs like this are essential for the enrichment of students who love to write. “Our teachers don’t have as much time as they would like to work with the students on creative writing projects,” she said. “This program, which is open to students of all backgrounds and academic levels, offers students the chance to hone their skills and explore their love of writing.”

The Lawrence Sanders Foundation provides the funding to support the certified language arts teachers who lead the workshop. This year, the teachers are Nicole Adamo and Katrina Sapp Holder of Don Estridge Middle School, and Cartheda Mann of Glades Community Central High School.

An official book signing to unveil the 2014 book will be held in the autumn at the City of Boca Raton Spanish River Library. For more information about how to support the Canon Solutions America Future Authors Project, contact the Executive Director of the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County, Mary Kay Murray, at [email protected].