UCM-Lee's Summit offering summer children's book writing & art courses for high school students

Writing and Drawing Children’s Books Workshop offered online; Comics and Graphic Storytelling presented in person at the Missouri Innovation Campus in Lee’s Summit

University of Central Missouri is offering two summer courses in art for high-school students interested in writing and drawing children's books and comics and graphic storytelling.

The Writing and Drawing Children's Book Workshop will be held online, while Comics and Graphic Storytelling will take place in-person at the Missouri Innovation Campus in Lee's Summit.

The Writing and Drawing Children's Book Workshop, which runs from June 5 to 28, will be self-paced, with individual virtual meetings. The course is designed to teach students about the process of writing and publishing their own children's books. Students will need to have access to the internet, Google Docs, and a device for video conferencing. The course is open to anyone interested in the topic, including illustrators and writers.

Comics and Graphic Storytelling will take place on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., from June 5 to 28. Students will be encouraged to write, illustrate, and publish their own comics during the course. The instructor, John F. Malta, a published author and illustrator, will teach students how to create meaningful content in a highly designed and drawn aesthetic. The course will incorporate a hybrid approach to art-making and explore both traditional and digital practices. Prior drawing knowledge is recommended, and students with access to their own drawing tablets are encouraged to bring them to the course.

The instructor for both courses, John F. Malta, is a Kansas City-based illustrator and art director who has worked on projects with major companies like the New York Times, Netflix, and the New Yorker. His most recent book, "Intergalactic Moving Day," was published by POW! Kids Books and distributed worldwide by Simon and Schuster. Malta exhibits new work at various comic festivals and art book fairs throughout North America.

The cost for each course is $150. Students can enroll now for either or both courses, depending on their interests.

Click here for more information on the writing and drawing children's books workshop.

Click here for more information on the comics and graphic storytelling workshop.