Learning to CARE Book Certification and Awards Program

The Arab Initiative to Foster a Culture of Volunteering

Updated June 23, 2011

Workshop
Resources
Criteria

WORKSHOP

The Workshop for Authors and Publishers of Arabic Books for Children and Youth served as the launching event for the 2011 Learning to CARE Book Certification and Awards Program of The Arab Initiative to Foster a Culture of Volunteering. The Program provides information and incentives to encourage authors and publishers to develop books for children and youth (kindergarten through high school) that encourage them to be volunteers.

The workshop took place on Wednesday June 22, 2011 at the Safir Heliopolitan Hotel in Beirut. 24 authors and publishers attended (including two participants from Syria and one from Saudi Arabia).

It provided participants with a greater understanding of volunteering, as well as examples from children's literature (mostly in English) that support volunteering. Mrs. Amal Ayoub Freiji and Ms. Sana' Shabbani, the winners the 2010 LTC Book Award, introduced their books and shared their experiences and thoughts about the Program. In addition, Mrs. Eva Al Assad,  Coordinator of Arabi21 provided valuable information about the importance of writing children’s books in Arabic in which language, genre, vocabulary, and illustration are at the same reading level to encourage greater success and enjoyment by students reading in Arabic. Manuscripts for the 2011 LTC Book Certification and Awards Program will need to consistently fit the Arabi21 criteria for a reading level selected by the author. The workshop also provided a valuable networking platform to those working on Arabic children's literature.
 

RESOURCES

Many of the resources distributed at the workshop are now available online. These include:

1. Learning to CARE Book Certification and Awards Program Guidelines
2. Seasons of Service 
3. Rights and Responsibilities of a Volunteer and Group
4. Curriculum Guidelines
5. Arabi21 Guidelines
6. Children’s Books that Promote Volunteering – AVS Library
7. The different components of the Global Youth Service Days Participation Guide (which includes A List of Ideas for Youth Service Projects and the 12 steps of How to Plan and Implement a Project) – find at www.avs.org.lb/gysd.html

Note: Attendance at the workshop is not a requirement for participation in the LTC Book Certification and Awards program.

CRITERIA

The 2010/2011 Learning to CARE Book Certification and Award Program was established to:

1. Encourage authors and publishers to produce books that foster a culture of volunteering in Arab youth, and
2. Provide a guide to educators who want to select books for their students that strengthen their school service program.

CERTIFICATION:

• All books that fulfill the Learning to CARE and Arabi21 Criteria will receive the Learning to CARE Book Certification.
• Be included in our list of certified books – on our website and in a list for distribution through our Learning to CARE training programs
• Will be allowed to put the logo of the certification program on their book and an explanation of the certification program inside the book (approved wording will be provided).
• In addition, every effort will be made to encourage teachers to incorporate certified books into appropriate lesson plans that we can make available online.

AWARDS

Up to five of the certified books will be awarded the Learning to CARE Book Award as the most outstanding books fulfilling the Learning to CARE and Arabi21 Criteria. The awards will be for the most well-written creative, relevant, interesting and inspiring books in each age category, selected by a team of judges chosen by the Initiative Advisory Board.

Each of the award winning books will be given a cash prize of $500 to be given (to the person or company holding the copyright) upon receipt of the published copy within and no later than six month after the award has been announced.

Procedures for Submission:

1. Please note the following important dates for 2011:

October 5th, 2011: for those who would like a critique of the book with a commentary that could improve its compliance with the program criteria.

November 5^th: submission of final copy

December 5^th: Awards Ceremony for selected books

2. To be considered for the 2011 awards, an e-manuscript must be sent to initiative@avs.org.lb  no later than November 5^th , 2011 or three print-ready copies of the manuscript must be sent to the Arab Volunteer Initiative, P.O. Box 136104, Beirut Lebanon, or delivered to the Initiative office at the Chawkatly Building, 6^th floor, Charles Helou Boulevard, Saifi, Beirut or an e-manuscript (pdf file)
3. The book or manuscript must be submitted with the following information: Title of book, name of author, name of publisher, contact name, phone number and email address.

LEARNING TO CARE CRITERIA:

a) The book must be in Arabic or bilingual Arabic/English

b) The book should help motivate the reader to volunteer, help the reader understand how to be good volunteer, and/or present the story of one or more actual role models of volunteering for the elderly, disabled, sick, orphans, the environment, etc)

c) The story must be original

d) The story must be culturally authentic, and applicable to all or most Arab countries.

e)   The submission must be a print-ready manuscript, including illustrations

Notes:

1. This certification and awards program does not provide funding for printing the book.
2. The copyright and all profits for certified and awarded books remain with the Author/Publisher.

_____________________________________________________________________

For further information contact:

The Association for Volunteer Services, Coordinating Agency

The Arab Initiative to Foster a Culture of Volunteering

Tel 961-1-449 470, 961-1-449 536

Mobile: 961-3-757098  961-70 -571924

initiative@avs.org.lb   www.arabvolunteer.org