FROM THE EDITOR

CAPEHART

X EDITOR’S PICKS

STAY AND PLAY

Europe’s legendary hotels (including personal favorite Le Meurice) take center stage in our Journeys department this month. Page 53.

WRITE AWAY

The art of letter writing is not lost. Check out our editors’ picks for writing essentials that will make you want to take pen to paper. Page 44.

LIVE AND LEARN

In 2019, this magazine launched its Education Awards to recognize the outstanding people, programs, and institutions in Palm Beach County’s academic community. It started as a small endeavor with an awards ceremony and panel discussion highlighting issues and opportunities in education. To maximize reader engagement, we presented the finalists for the coveted Educator of the Year Award in a September cover story—a tradition that continues today.

Four years later, with the help of sponsors Schumacher Automotive Group and Tree of Life Foundation International, the Education Awards have doubled in reach, and we have added both a new recognition category and a cash award for the winning educator. I urge you to meet the six finalists—including cover star Pranoo Kumar Skomra—in “Making the Grade” on page 63. Each of these individuals deserves the honor of Educator of the Year for bringing out-of-the-box thinking to the classroom and for allowing students to feel heard, accepted, and free to express themselves.

Our focus on education continues with a story on FAU’s new Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute in Jupiter, where neuroscientists and researchers will study the intricacies of the brain and brain-related disorders with a goal of finding answers to complicated questions that so far have eluded science. If we discover a cure for Alzheimer’s or depression one day, don’t be surprised if it starts right here. Learn more in “Mind Matters” on page 70.

Some time ago, I spoke with Rabbi Moshe Scheiner of the Palm Beach Synagogue about a new program he co-founded with businessman/philanthropist Larry Sosnow. At the time, the Solomon Leadership Program was just getting off the ground, but it was clear that the vision was solid: mentor promising young minds to become tomorrow’s leaders. The ambitious program included training in ethics, critical thinking, and sound decisionmaking skills for a foundation not only in business, but also in life. Unsurprisingly, the Solomon Leadership Program has expanded beyond Palm Beach to four other communities and continues to grow. Read our report, “Leading the Way,” on page 88.

This month you’ll also notice a change in the magazine’s look, with a design refresh and new departments being introduced between now and the end of the year. We always strive to keep our award-winning content and design fresh for our readers. Let me know what you think!

Daphne Nikolopoulos daphne@palmbeachillustrated.com