Students Overcome Disabilities to Receive Zaner-Bloser's Nicholas Maxim Penmanship Award

COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Zaner-Bloser announces the winners of the Nicholas Maxim Special Award for Excellent Penmanship as part of its 21^st annual National Handwriting Contest. The Nicholas Maxim Award honors two special needs students (one manuscript winner and one cursive winner) for their penmanship mastery. This year's manuscript winner is Annie Clark, a first grade student at Wilson Christian Academy in West Mifflin, PA, who was born without hands. The cursive winner, Remiel Colwill, is a fifth grade student at St. Mary Magdalene School in Eastlake, OH who has a visual impairment.

Annie and Remiel's special accomplishments are twofold; they have not only displayed exemplary penmanship, but they have also overcome their disabilities to do so. Both Annie and Remiel's schools will be holding award ceremonies to honor the Nicholas Maxim Award winners and each student will be awarded $1,000 and a trophy.

The Nicholas Maxim Award was created last year in response to a unique entry from a talented young writer, Nicholas Maxim—a fifth grade Maine student born without hands or lower arms. To be eligible for the Nicholas Maxim Award, a student must have a cognitive delay, or an intellectual, physical, or developmental disability.

"When our team saw Nicholas' penmanship, we were just amazed," said Zaner-Bloser President Bob Page. "Since we started this contest 21 years ago, we've been pleased to get a great response that increases every year, and Nicholas inspired us to encourage all students to participate."

Zaner-Bloser's 21^st annual National Handwriting Contest attracted more than 325,000 students (and nearly 3 million since its inception). For more information about the contest and the Nicholas Maxim Award, visit www.zaner-bloser.com and click on the National Handwriting Contest icon.

About Zaner-Bloser
Zaner-Bloser, a wholly owned subsidiary of Highlights for Children with more than 120 years of experience in education, is one of the premier publishers of research-based reading, writing, spelling, vocabulary, and handwriting programs. The Zaner-Bloser mission is to create dynamic, appealing and effective educational programs and services. Zaner-Bloser focuses on distinctive programs that inspire all students to become engaged, literate participants in the global society.

SOURCE Zaner-Bloser