July 6, 2026 — Inkandescent Kids magazine is celebrating its 1st Birthday on Aug. 8 at Elaine’s Literary Salon: You are invited to the party, noon to 4pm. Save the date!
Monday Morning Magic from Inkandescent® PR + Publishing Co. — Children’s book authors, student artists and musicians, craft projects, a family photo booth, and more will be featured at the 1st birthday bash to celebrate Inkandescent Kids magazine.
Join us August 8, noon to 4pm: We invite you to swing by Elaine’s Literary Salon (208 Queen Street in Alexandria, VA) — the spot where we host our grown-up literary events, ElainesLiterarySalon.com, and meet more than a dozen children’s book authors, student artists and musicians, a cooking demonstration with a chef from Elaine’s restaurant, and more!
Let us know you are coming! Get your free ticket here: inkandescentkids.eventbrite.com
We are on a mission: From Kindergarten to College — Out of the mouths of kids come big ideas. It is an honor and a privilege to welcome you to Inkandescent Kids magazine, a project inspired by my two children.
Anna, now 30, was one of 600 students to be admitted to Virginia Commonwealth University’s Arts program. She grew up to be a photographer/videographer who owns her own business that specializes in celebrating families through photos, AnnaGibbs.com. Dylan, 27, attended the University of Virginia’s architecture school and graduated from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design last May. He now works for a prominent firm in New York City.
With our editor, Ellen Smith — a special ed teacher, author, and homeschool mom of two daughters — we are on a mission to work with kids around the world to actualize their dreams by teaching them to think like reporters.
“I wish I had a resource like Inkandescent Kids magazine when I was young,” says Ellen, who recently penned her fourth novel. “It would have given me the opportunity to publish my work.”
Here’s how our InkandescentKids project works:
- Let us publish your work: It’s just $3 to submit an article, photo, illustration, video, game, or puzzle. Our grown-up editors will review the work, and if it fits our guidelines, we will publish it in our online magazine and give you a byline (first name and the state where you live).
- Join our staff of student journalists: If you’d like to work with us on a regular basis, you can take our classes that will train you to be an InkandescentKids.com reporter, photographer, illustrator, editor, or to be part of our online newsroom. (Classes start at $150 for all three sessions.) Upon graduation, you’ll be eligible for assignments to work on our cover stories that include interviews with ambassadors, politicians, authors, artists, diplomats, scientists, and more.
- And there’s more: InkandescentKids is also working on creating a slew of kid-friendly events from student art exhibits and concerts to national mural exhibits, publishing their books, connecting parents and grandparents in our Parent Corner, working internationally to build bridges around the world, and projects we haven’t yet thought of.
Our dream: We are on a mission to inspire and support students on their creative journey, helping them maximize their potential and expand their vision of the world. If we can’t make the world a better place — we know they can.
Until next Monday: Let’s celebrate the power of our kids. — Hope Katz Gibbs, founder and president, Inkandescent® Inc. Inkandescent.us
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InkandescentKids.com team: Hope Katz Gibbs, publisher, and Ellen Smith, editor
Author, publisher, and award-winning journalist Hope Katz Gibbs is the president of Inkandescent® PR + Publishing Co., which specializes in promoting authors, artists, and entrepreneurs and publishes books and magazines focused on women, wellness, and kids. Founded in 2008, Hope’s goal is to shine a light on the magic being created by clever people and share their inspiration with the world. Learn more: www.Inkandescent.us Email Hope: hope@hopegibbs.com
Author, homeschool mom, and former teacher Ellen Smith is the editor of InkandescentKids.com. She earned her master’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education from The George Washington University in 2008. As a classroom teacher, homeschool tutor, and parent, Ellen loves empowering students of every age and diverse abilities. Ellen is also a freelance writer and fiction author. She has published four novels: Reluctant Cassandra (2015), Every Last Minute (2017), Any Second Chance (2020), and All Kinds of Time (2025). When she isn’t writing or teaching, Ellen can usually be found curled up with a cup of coffee and a good book! Learn more about Ellen and her work: www.EllenSmithWrites.com.