Annica Benning (18) believes students can start learning about citizenship and local government as soon as they begin school and that K-5 educators and parents have a duty to empower our youngest citizens with this information.

Annica is co-founder and CEO of Walnut Canyon Press, a nonprofit publishing house that creates books and tools to enhance civic literacy in early public education. Walnut Canyon Press is focused on implementing Annica's groundbreaking concept that integrating grade-level-appropriate civics-related characters and themes into K-5 stories and reading texts builds a core knowledge base to make later civics education immeasurably more effective. A stronger America will be the result.

She was recognized with the Congressional Gold Award and other recognition honoring her work and Walnut Canyon Press' donation of more than 200,000 volumes to public schools. Annica, a political science scholar at Arizona State University, travels frequently as a professional speaker and lecturer.

Annica authored Yes They Can! Empowering America's Youngest Citizens (Sutton Hart Press) scheduled for Fall 2013 release and several classroom titles.