Compass Academy Network Invites Local Middle School Students to “Comics, Cocoa, and Candy Canes”
Award-Winning Comic Artist Grant Snider is Featured
JOPLIN, Mo. — Compass Academy Network (CAN) invites local middle school students and families to celebrate the season at Comics, Cocoa, and Candy Canes, CAN’s Annual Holiday Meetup Party featuring award-winning author, illustrator, and comic artist Grant Snider!
Join CAN on December 6 at Missouri Southern State University’s Plaster Hall as Grant leads attendees through an engaging and interactive afternoon where he will share insights into his creative process, guide students through a hands-on comic workshop, answer questions, and sign copies of his books. Each middle school student guest will receive a free copy to take home!
Grant is an adult and children’s author known for Incidental Comics and numerous books including Poetry Comics, Thinking About Thinking, and others. His work has earned national recognition, including USA Today Bestseller status and selection as a 2025 NEA Read Across America title.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Grant back to Joplin to work directly with local middle school students,” said Syeda Greenlee, Regional Director of CAN. “As an accomplished author and artist who grew up in rural Kansas, his background and experiences really speak to the CAN mission of creating opportunities for rural middle school students, and his creative process ties directly into the Creative Writing and Studio Art courses of the CAN curriculum.”
Event Details
- Date: Saturday, December 6, 2025
- Time: 2–4:30 PM
- Location: Missouri Southern State University | Joplin, MO | Cornell Auditorium | Plaster Hall
- Cost: FREE! Student Transportation Provided!
This holiday celebration is open to current CAN students, 5th–8th graders, and their families or guests. Current CAN students are encouraged to bring a friend for a chance to win special prizes and introduce others to what CAN is all about. The event will feature festive treats, a hot cocoa bar, holiday activities, a gingerbread house–making contest, a photo booth, and more. Students in attendance will have the chance to win a drone and additional prizes. Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind holiday event with the CAN community!
Space is limited and RSVPs are preferred by November 25. Reservations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.