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Building Healthy Children Ready to Learn


Sarah Hendred-Brzeskiewicz, The Author

As a teen, I was asked to participate in the Nurture Bear book series. I had a love for creative writing and thought that this would be an excellent way to blend writing with health and wellness. While in college, I was able to participate again but this time with short blogs re: different tenets of wellness. I wanted to participate because this was a way to put into practice ideas and principles that I was learning in my college programs while I pursued my degree in Health & Human Physiology.

I greatly valued that many of the programs I participated in were geared towards peer involvement. Books for kids written by kids created a sort of peer mentorship effect. It also inspired other kids to know that they too could create something for print. I also valued how the program was a collaborative effort that sought to preserve the creativity of the author while also upholding the standards of the mission and vision of the Foundation. The program coordinator kept in close communication, set deadlines, when necessary, gave constructive feedback, and asked questions to ensure we were both on the same page. Resources were also made available if needed. Lastly, the program emphasized facts and evidence-based information.

My work with the program was an enlightening experience. Having the opportunity to work with it during various stages of my life allowed my involvement to evolve as my own education, life experiences, and professional goals developed. It is fun to see how as a teen I was able to author a book on nutrition and then as an adult have progressed to authoring research articles for medical journals. The Foundation and its programs in part set the foundation for certain aspects of my career that no one could have predicted at the time.

It prepared me to expand on health constructs in writing and how to take health information and make it accessible to a community audience. This is a vital part of what I do today in my job as an Occupational Therapist. My work with the Foundation also lent itself to supporting my experiential learning when applying to undergraduate and graduate universities.

Advice: Think outside the box, be creative with your work but also prioritize the facts surrounding your topic, be considerate of your audience. Expectations: Expect an experience that will stick with you and potentially positively impact your future endeavors in college and career.

—Sarah Brzeskiewicz
MS,OTR/L 
Occupational Therapist
St. David’s Medical Center, Austin, TX

Sarah's Book

The Treasure Hunt

By Sarah Hendred-Brzeskiewicz

The Treasure Hunt was written by Sarah Hendred, one of our first generation authors through the ICONS Foundation. Created by Claudie Phillips. Illustrated by: Lauren M. Davies.

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$9.95 plus taxes, S & H