St. Clair County Regional Office of Education (ROE) logo featuring a graduation cap and sunburst.

Due to the forecast of inclimate weather, our office will be closed Wednesday, January 25, 2023.

Lori Costello, Regional Superintendent

Lori Costello,
Regional Superintendent

St. Clair County Regional Office of Education (ROE) logo featuring a graduation cap and sunburst.
Professional woman with locs wearing glasses and a white shirt.


Dr. Gegi Ra-El
Assistant Superintendent

SCHOOL DISTRICT GUIDELINES:

The district’s Young Authors’ Program must be for all students in the district in Grades K-8 regular and special education classrooms.

A district-wide conference to recognize all young authors is highly recommended. A district panel should select Young Authors’ attending the Regional Conference.

SELECTION PROCEDURES:
Each district may select THREE Young Authors’ per attendance center or ONE young author per 100 students enrolled in K-8 in an attendance center.
EXAMPLE:
If you have 449 students, send four students. Round up if the number is 50 or greater.

The district must notify its eligible participants and inform them of registration procedures of the Regional Conference.
Books authored and/or illustrated by more than two children will not be accepted.  Co-authored/illustrated entries will count as two of the district’s allotment of entries. If books are co-authored/illustrated, each author must bring a bound copy of the manuscript to the Conference.
Dictated books may be typed or handwritten by an adult, but must be in the student’s own language.
Manuscripts must have a substantial cover with pages securely attached.
Forms of writing will be left up to the school districts.

Smiling Black woman with wavy hair, wearing a burgundy top and navy cardigan.
Jasmine Krezanoski has been married to her husband, Sean, for 11 years, and together they have five beautiful children. A proud alumna of District #118 schools, Jasmine went on to earn dual bachelor’s degrees in Biology and Nursing from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She worked as a registered nurse before embracing her calling as a full-time homeschooling mom and children’s book author. Being home with her children unexpectedly reignited a lifelong love of writing—a passion first sparked in childhood when she regularly participated in the Young Authors program. That early inspiration laid the foundation for the work she does today. Her debut children’s book, Meet the Pegs: Kindness for the Win, was released in July 2024 and was warmly received by readers both locally and beyond. Jasmine is thrilled to share her upcoming release, Meet the Pegs: Jumping for Joy, with the world very soon.
Book cover "Meet the Pegs: Kindness for the Win" featuring a family on a soccer field.

The purpose of the Young Authors’ Conference is to support classroom teachers in their efforts to encourage students to develop original manuscripts as they practice the features of good writing. Children in all regular programs, grades K-8, as well as special classrooms, are encouraged to participate. Young Authors selected by their local districts will be invited to attend this one-day conference where their books will be displayed. The content of the Young Authors’ Conference will emphasize language as a vehicle for communication with others. 

The Young Authors’ Conference will be held Wednesday, March 11, 2026, at Westhaven Elementary School, 118 Westhaven School Road, Belleville from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
I extend a special invitation to all schools in St. Clair County to participate in this wonderful opportunity to honor the young authors in our area. The conference is designed for students K-8. The purpose of this annual conference is to celebrate student achievement in writing and teachers’ efforts to improve the language arts skills of their students. Children’s writings are cherished products, and we encourage your participation in this project!
-Lori Costello

  • For questions: Contact Kayla Carnes at 618-825-3909

Steps to Follow:

Once the district has selected a representative who will be responsible for completing the Student Registration Forms, please follow the instructions below and contact Kayla Carnes (618-825-3909 or kcarnes@sccroe50.org) if you have any questions.

  1. Select students to participate in the Regional Young Authors’ Conference.
  2. Notify the students of their selection to participate in the Regional Young Authors’ Conference with this letter.
  3. The School District Representative will register students online using the Young Author Registration form below.  
  4. After submitting each Young Authors’ registration, fill out, and print a copy of the manuscript ID Form.  This should be attached to the inside of the child’s manuscript for identification purposes.  CLICK HERE FOR MANUSCRIPT ID FORM.
  • Student Registration Forms (submitted below), must be received by 4 p.m. on Friday, February 20, 2026. 
  • After registration has closed, the school district representative will receive a complete list of all registered students for their district.  Once that list is verified and returned, the representative responsible for billing (as indicated on the registration form) will receive an invoice for the districts registered students.  The cost per student is $25.00.
  • PLEASE NOTE: MANUSCRIPTS ARE NOT TO BE MAILED. YOUNG AUTHORS ARE TO BRING THEIR MANUSCRIPTS TO THE CONFERENCE WHERE THE BOOKS WILL BE DISPLAYED ON Wednesday, March 11, 2026.

Program Facilitator:

  • Kayla Carnes
    St. Clair County Regional Office of Education
    825-3909
    kcarnes@sccroe50.org
YOUNG AUTHOR REGISTRATION IS CLOSED