Author Experience Program

The AU Author Experience Grant Program was created to provide underserved and/or underfunded schools and youth programming organizations the opportunity to host an author, regardless of their resources or funding. Our authors have agreed to donate one 45-minute virtual visit per year, which AU will arrange at no cost. A wide selection of children’s and young adult Authors Out Loud authors and illustrators are available for this program. We ask that each hosting organization facilitate the webinar interface by providing join links, and limit participation to a single school or district (no public streaming or recording without prior permission).

How Do I Know if My School Qualifies?

Author Experience is based on need. Prior to filling out the application, please take a moment to determine if your school is eligible for this gratis program by reviewing the qualifications below. A note that you do not need to meet all qualifications, but you are required to provide evidence of need. Please use the most recent data available.

Qualification options:

You receive Title I funding.
65% or more of your students participate in the free or reduced lunch program.
You can provide alternative data showing a majority of your student population are persons experiencing poverty. An explanation of this data will be required.
Your students are below your state average for meeting state grade-level English Language Arts standards.
**Your budget for an author event is $500 or less, and confirmation there is no budget with a PTO program, PTA, and/or social and emotional learning development funds

** This is a mandatory requirement.

What's Next?

If you have determined that your school is likely to meet eligibility requirements, wahoo! You may apply for this program using the application link here. Please be prepared to provide a link to the data confirming your eligibility.
We will review your application within 14 days and let you know if we are able to proceed.
If you qualify, Authors Out Loud will provide a list of available authors/illustrators who fit your target audience. You can then select your top three choices, and we’ll negotiate dates with you and the author.
We also ask that you provide a culminating group assignment based on age level of students to reflect what the Author Experience meant to them.

AU Staff you've been corresponding with:(Required)

Name of the person submitting this invitation(Required)

First Last

Title and role at your school

Phone(Required)

Email(Required)

Name of the Sponsoring Organization:(Required)

Most likely the name of your school

Address

Street Address City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country

Elegibility Requirements

Our total budget for author event programming is less than $500 per year

Our free and reduced lunch percentage for our school is 65% or higher

Our school has Title I Designation

Our school or organization does not receive outside funding from a PTO or PTA

Our school or organization does not receive outside funding for Social and Emotional Learning Development

Our school or organization is located in an underserved community

Our school or organization has never received an Author Experience Grant in the past

Please Check All that Apply

Event Information

Speaker Requested(Required)

Alternatives Speakers

If your requested speaker is not avaialable, are there other of interest? Or would you be open to a list of suggesitons?

Date/Time Preferences

Please list any parameters, start times or date ranges that will work. We will schedule events based on the author's availability.

School or Organization Website

Approximate number of virtual attendees, and who they are?(Required)

How would your students benefit from this event?

Book Sales

Are you able to work with a local independent bookstore so that students may order books prior to the event? The author is happy to send signed bookplates.

Why This Speaker?

Write in your organization’s personal appeal here. If you can include any details you think might be important, that will give the author context as they prepare for the visit.

Supporting Documents

Drop files here or

Max. file size: 50 MB, Max. files: 3.

Feel free to upload an invitation letter, event poster, or other supporting documents you'd like the author to review.

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