The conference, taking place during one of the island’s most exciting times – whale season, will also feature Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of The Deep End of the Ocean, Thomas Cook, winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award, John Lescroart, best-selling suspense author, and Diane Lake whose screenplay Frieda won two Academy Awards. They will be joined by agents and editors; Elizabeth Evans of Jean V. Naggar Literacy, Melissa Flashman of Trident Literacy Group of New York and Neil Nyren of G.P. Putnam’s Sons.

Designed to motivate, inspire and educate writers, the Aloha Writers Conference will feature not only world-renowned writers and best-selling authors but poets and screenwriters as well. These mentors will be available to help participants develop their writing skills further and include Hawaiian cultural specialists making this a unique and inspirational experience for all those who attend. Writers of all ages and genres, even first-time and seasoned writers are encouraged to attend. Come away motivated and with a greater awareness of the Hawaiian culture to incite future writing.

The Aloha Writers Conference will benefit the Native Hawaiian non-profit agency, Keiki O Ka Aina (KOKA) Family Learning Centers, which is the conference host and organizer. KOKA was the 2007 recipient of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’s” largest build to date, constructing KOKA’s offices in the 100th episode. Established in 1996, KOKA works to serve the needs of the Native Hawaiian community through cultural educational programs for adults, children and families. Serving over 2,000 families on Oahu and Maui, KOKA’s mission is to build strong communities by building strong families.

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to experience Hawaii with other writers and to learn from some of the best in the world. Conference attendees receive special air and hotel discounts. Pre-registration starts at $695.00, register before October 1, 2012. To learn more and to sign up for the Aloha Writers Conference, visit www.alohawritersconference.com.

Do you really know how much the lack of literacy in the United States is costing you? According to the U.S. Census, the average cost in lost productivity and wages for each high school dropout may total as much as $900,000 per student. The 2010 Fact Sheet of the Alliance of Excellent Education states that about seven thousand students drop out of high school every DAY. In one YEAR, the total dropout number is 1.3 million. Do the math. The cost to our country is in the billions.

But what exactly is literacy?

The word itself comes from the word literate (literate + cy). The word literate means “educated, instructed,” and dates back to the early 15th century. Like many of our English words, it is derived from the Latin, literatus/litteratus meaning “educated, learned,” or “one who knows the letters.” It is most commonly applied to reading, but writing is equally important. In fact, reading and writing are interconnected. The reader needs to read with the sense of the writer and the writer needs to write with the sense of the reader. A reader needs to make sense of what the writer is communicating through the text and the writer needs to make sure that his/her message is clear and understood by the reader.

This isn’t news to good writers, the majority of whom are also avid readers. I would suggest that anyone wanting to be a good writer should write a lot, AND read a lot. One informs the other. In fact, a number of attendees at writers’ conferences are not yet writers. They want to listen to the words of their favorite authors, not only from their pens, but also from their mouths, up close and personal. They want to know how these authors weave their “word magic.” By the end of the writers’ conference, some may be inspired to pick up a pen and start their own novel on the plane back home, anxious to land and start banging away on their computer. Some may simply buy a book by their favorite author at the airport bookstore. Either way, they are engaged in literacy.

The Aloha Writers Conference, hosted by a Native Hawaiian Family Learning Center, has a focus on literacy for the entire family. That is why we offer one of the best writers’ conferences in the country. We also offer a free one-day track for Hawaii’s teachers, and one for teens. As children see their parents, grandparents, aunties and uncles reading and writing, they internalize literacy as a component of their family culture. They are more likely to read and write themselves, and strong literacy skills are a protective factor against dropping out of school. Literacy…it’s good for the human spirit AND the economy!

We can clearly see how poor literacy hurts the human spirit and the economy. Stay tuned…