Planning for the Right Time Commitment

A Highlights Foundation workshop requires a certain level of commitment to get the most value possible out of your experience. But it doesn’t mean that you need to attend every session and finish every exercise on time, every time.

We ask that you commit to the level of engagement that you can during each type of program.

At times, during both in-person retreats and online courses, you may need a break from the content or pace. We encourage you to listen to your needs and take that time.

In an online workshop, we know that this sometimes means balancing your day-to-day life with the sessions and exercises.  Time zone/location differences may also mean that live sessions fall at different times of day for some people.

Facilitated online offerings feature sessions at scheduled times, but in most cases, the programs are recorded and available within 24 hours for you to listen/watch when it works for you. Also, you’ll see many of the sessions in a program listed as “optional.” This includes things like our informal office hours, Q&As, brainstorming sessions, or informal critique groups. We encourage you to participate in this time for your creativity when you can, but we know that sometimes you are needed elsewhere. If you are unable to keep up with the course materials, please reach out so that we can assist with more time for replays or rescheduling 1:1 appointments when needed.

In-person offerings might not have the same considerations, but we know that you may need to step away during the workshop for personal or professional reasons. We try to build in independent work time and breaks to ease these concerns, and our faculty and staff can also be available to help.

Some workshops may require/suggest submissions for critique or feedback by a certain date, either in advance of, during, or after the workshop. We provide these deadlines so that our faculty and/or your fellow attendees may adequately prepare for sessions and meet obligations. If you need flexibility on a deadline, please reach out so that we can assist. Our faculty will also be as flexible as possible when arranging 1:1 meetings for your scheduling needs and time zone constraints, if any.

Most workshops also have a community component, either online via Zoom/message boards/forums, or in-person via activities and meals. While participation in these is not mandatory, being in community with fellow creators can give you unexpected gifts and relationships that will help sustain your journey in children’s literature.

All of these guidelines and offerings are included in as much detail as possible in every workshop description. Sometimes agendas may shift, but we’ll do our best to communicate needs and suggested requirements as soon as they become available.

If you have any concerns about the commitment level or logistics needed for any workshop, please email us at support@highlightsfoundation.zendesk.com, or talk with an Ambassador, who can help you determine whether the workshop you’re considering is a fit for your needs and lifestyle.