WOOP! A Grant Just for SCBWI Regional Advisors

If you've been involved in SCBWI for any length of time, you certainly know the value of Regional Advisors. RA is a voluntary position and involves but is not limited to: coordination of local volunteers; planning regional conference and events; fielding questions and concerns from regional members; assisting with the Annual Conferences (registration, speaker introductions); keeping up with and disseminating news and policies from SCBWI HQ; and much, much more.

And let me tell you, it's not an easy job. (I had a unspectacular run as an RA for Southern Ohio in the early '90s, so I speak from experience. Putting together CWIM was so much easier.) Regional Advisors are dedicated volunteers who help other creative people realize their dreams while they pursue their own.

So I'm truly happy to announce that SCBWI has just created a new award exclusively for Regional Advisors, Assistant Regional Advisors, and Illustrator Coordinators! Starting in 2011, SCBWI will present two Works Of Outstanding Promise (WOOP) awards of $1500 each.

"We realize there is so much talent in this amazing pool of people, and we want to give RAs both a reward for service and a leg up on getting their work published," said Lin Oliver and Stephen Mooser. "The WOOP will be given to a work in progress, and the application and judging will be very similar to our current WIP form. The difference is that these are reserved exclusively for RAs. Winning one of the WIP grants has given many people both the resources to finish their work and a real path to publication. We hope the WOOP awards will do the same for RAs."

WOOP application forms will be available online on around January 1st, judging will take place in May, and the winners will be announced at the SCBWI Annual Summer Conference in August.

Hooray for RAs! If you haven't done so lately, thank yours for all she or he does for SCBWI and your regions. (Here's a link to SCBWI regions and their Advisors.)