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About

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Joy Saxton

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Joy Saxton has worked passionately with children for over 25 years teaching and developing programs that have made a difference in the lives of young children.  Joy began her career at the age of eight years old anchoring a two time national award winning kids television show called Kids TV Express for over ten years based in Austin, Texas. They did specials on Just Say No to Drugs Campaign, Aids Awareness, Sunshine Kids with Cancer, NASA space missions and more. Joy performed in over 20 plays and was one of 15 Americans chosen to tour Russia during the Cold War with Peace Child, a traveling play.

 

In high school, Joy started a performing arts troop called A Little Laughter Productions and recruited forty young people to produce and perform in a play that toured nursing homes, children’s homes, homes for the mentally handicapped, and hospitals. At age seventeen, she was the youngest student ever accepted into the O’Neill National Theater Institute, which worked with world-renowned theatrical directors, and studied Shakespeare in London.  Joy continued taking college courses at Notre Dame.

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In her early twenties, she started a program called J.O.Y. International, a non-profit organization, and developed and implemented an educational curriculum for elementary schools in Austin, Texas. She produced a television pilot, called J.O.Y. Agents that addressed issues regarding children around the world. The TV pilot received rave reviews, and celebrity child actors from the Disney Channel helped to promote the program.  Joy also produced and directed a short film with NASA about the first humanoid robot in outer space, Robonaut.

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Joy moved to Houston, TX where she became an acting instructor and coach for children for Page Parkes Modeling and Talent Agency, the largest agency in the Southwest.  She started the Joy Kids Studio, an after-school program teaching kids to write, direct, film and star in movies they made.  The program was a big hit in West University premiering kids movies at the historical River Oaks Theater three times a year.  Joy trained thousands of children through her programs, and her students have landed starring roles in major motion pictures, network television series and landed lead roles on Broadway, including a Tony Best Actress nomination.

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Currently, Joy has written and illustrated children's books about places around the world and is touring schools teaching a message of children loving one another. All of Joy's illustrations are paintings using acrylic and watercolor paints. The book has received tremendous praise from educators, children and parents, and was chosen by the Barbara Bush Foundation for their My Home Library, that gives books to economically disadvantaged school children through out Houston, Texas.

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Joy has served on several boards and raised over a million dollars for charities working with an orphanage in India and Africa, Dell Children's Hospital, and United Way.

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"It was an absolute "joy" to have Ms. Joy Saxton come to Memorial! Our students loved her energy and her enthusiasm as she engaged them in a read aloud. Our students wanted to stay with her and not go back to class! We were fortunate to have her and cannot wait til she comes back! I definitely recommend her to any campus who wants an engaging author to come and speak to your students!"

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Jose Hilario Cordova, Principal, Memorial Elementary

"Author, Joy Saxton, is a ray of sunshine. She is energetic and our first grade students loved her. Joy's Puppet Theater provided a message of love and kindness. Her visit was exactly what we needed at Crosby Elementary and we look forward to seeing what other inspirational books she publishes in the future."

Dana Kratky-Fox, Principal Crosby Elementary

"Joy Saxton's visit to our school was incredible! There are not enough words of praise and gratitude we can say for what she did for our students. Her presentation was energetic, informative, educational and entertaining. The student audience was captivated every second. 

Not only did Ms. Saxton talk to our students about the creative process of writing and illustrating a book, but they learned about the business side of publishing a book as well! 

Veronica Barrientos, M. Ed., District Librarian Secondary Schools

"What an amazing and impactful opportunity for our budding readers and writers! Ms. Saxton had the audience on the edge of their seat and completely engaged. I know that your visit to our our classroom will be one of my students' forever memories of kindergarten!"

Robin Jungnickel, Teacher, Oak Forest Elementary

© 2023 by Joy Saxton. All rights reserved.

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