The Book Love Foundation seeks teachers who demonstrate a passion for promoting a hunger for books. These teachers recognize the diversity of every class of readers and they challenge each student to build an independent reading life of increasing depth and joy. Teachers who apply for a Book Love Foundation grant must demonstrate that they are already committed to the support of readers through current classroom practices such as maintaining access to a range of books, conferring regularly and purposefully to understand and support students' changing needs, and sharing their own contagious passion for reading inside and outside of their classroom.
We continue to honor Dr. Teri Lesesne with Book Clubs grants, specific to building book clubs.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
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Applicant must be a full time preK-12 classroom teacher in the United States or Canada. If your teaching position is unclear in your application, we cannot consider you for a grant. If you are awarded a grant and then accept another position in your school district this summer (like a coaching or curriculum position), we will be happy for you, but the grant will be voided. Grants cannot be transferred to colleagues.
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Applicant must demonstrate an ongoing commitment to independent reading and book clubs as regular classroom practices.
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Applicant must have at least the start of a working classroom library.
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Applicant must be willing to maintain the Book Love Foundation library in the applicant's classroom. The books received from this grant are not intended for a school-wide library or to be permanently divided among teachers. Creative sharing, however, is always encouraged.
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Applicant must be willing to be included in Book Love Foundation promotional materials / website and participate in research into the effectiveness of classroom libraries and book clubs on student outcomes in reading. We expect grant winners to collect records and help us advance this important work. This is a partnership. If we choose you, we expect you to help us help others.
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This grant is given to you to support your work as a classroom teacher. It is not given to the school or school district. Please be sure this is clear to your administrators before you apply. If you leave the district, the books go with you.​
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​If you meet the above requirements, please complete the application (classroom library OR book clubs) by answering the questions in as concise, but thorough a manner as possible. Make your application easy for our readers, many of whom are not teachers. We love photographs and stories, but please remember that our grant readers have hundreds of pages to carefully review, so your entire application should not exceed 4000 words, including recommendations. Please apply for only one of the grants. We will not be able to review duplicate applications To submit your application, please carefully follow the instructions at the end of the application document. Every year we are inspired by you. Thank you for giving us a window into your world.