Funded by:



GENERAL INFORMATION
The Writers-in-the-Schools program is funded with the assistance of the Ontario Arts Council. The program provides elementary and secondary schools throughout Ontario the opportunity to have Canadian authors visit the classroom and interact with students. Under the Writers-in-the-Schools program, The Writers’ Union of Canada subsidizes a portion of an author’s fee for school visits within Ontario.

AMOUNT OF SUBSIDY
The amount of the subsidy is $100 for a half day visit (1-2 sessions), and $150 for a full day visit (3-4 sessions). TWUC pays one-half of this fee on behalf of the school, and the school pays the other half ($100 & $150, respectively). If an author charges more than the base honorarium the school is responsible for the difference. Please refer to the on-line list of participating authors at www.writersunion.ca/rd_WITSlist.asp for information on each author’s fees. The Writers’ Union of Canada also reimburses travel and accommodation expenses within Ontario, for a maximum of $150 for a half reading and $250 for a full reading. The school is responsible for paying the balance of the author’s travel, i.e. the difference in mileage rates above .54¢/km. The Union does not cover inter-provincial travel expenses. Please note that the author will invoice the Union directly for the subsidy and for travel expenses. The school does NOT have to contact the Union to ensure this is done. The school is responsible for paying the author the remainder of the fee on the day of the author’s visit. Please check with the author to determine whether an invoice for the remaining fees and expenses amounts will be sent to the school by the author.

Subsidies are organized into SPRING and FALL sessions. The spring session runs April 1 to June 30 and the fall session runs September 1 to March 31. The Union allots a certain amount of funding to each of these sessions. Once the funds are used up for a session, the program is closed and will reopen with new funds the following session.
The funding is given on a first-come first-served basis. The earlier you apply, the better your chances of receiving funding. If your application for a session is rejected due to lack of funding, you may reapply for the next session. Please note, however, that you must fill out a new application form each time.

AUTHOR AND SCHOOL ELIGIBILITY
Authors must be TWUC members to be eligible for funding. Please refer to the online list of participating authors for a list of authors who participate in the program. Every member of the Union is eligible to participate, whether on the list or not.

Each member of The Writers’ Union of Canada is eligible for six full-day readings or twelve half-day readings (or any combination equivalent to six full readings). Once authors reach their limits, they are no longer eligible for funding until funding renews the following period. Please ensure that you list several alternate authors in your application. If you do not, and your requested author’s allotments have been used up, your application will not be processed.

Please note that each school is allowed funding for only ONE author visit PER fiscal year (April 1 to March 31). If you are a teacher/librarian at more than one school, please fill out separate applications for each school.

APPLICATION FORMS
The Union accepts applications year-round. Applications must be received at least four weeks in advance of the reading date, and are available online at www.writersunion.ca/pdfs/oacapp.pdf. Please print and fax or mail in the application to the Union office. Contact information is on the application form. The Union begins processing applications in November for readings that take place between April 1 and the end of June, and in April for readings that take place between September 1 (of the same year) and March 31 (of the following year). If you would like to be notified that we have received your application, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard or send an e-mail to the e-mail address below.

OAC WRITERS-IN-THE-SCHOOLS AUTHOR PARTICIPANTS
Information about writers who participate in the program is available online at www.writersunion.ca/rd_WITSlist.asp. Authors’ presentations are suitable for elementary and high-school students. Each author’s listing provides some or all of the following information: a list of publications, a description of the presentation, the target age group, the length of the presentation, the maximum number of students per presentation, the author’s fees, and the author’s contact information. Please note that the contact information is intended for the purposes of booking only. Please respect the privacy of the author.

If you are interested in booking an author who is not listed in the list of participating authors, please contact the author first to ensure that she or he is willing to do the reading. You may contact the author by either (1) checking their member’s page on the Union’s website for an e-mail address or phone number or (2) by sending an e-mail to the writer c/o The Writers’ Union of Canada at the e-mail address below.

Please note that the Union CANNOT make recommendations about which authors to invite to do a reading.

For more information, please contact fli@writersunion.ca.

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