Why should my school pay for Wordfest Youth programming?

Why pay for a Wordfest school visit or field trip to the Festival?

It is up to teachers to carefully choose whom they invite so that the visit promotes literacy and fosters a love of reading. A weak presentation or a poorly written book just fills time, and may unintentionally discourage young readers. In assessing the value of an author visit, it is up to the teacher to decide if the presenter’s books are likely to engage and enrich students, and if the experience, credentials and reputation of the presenter are likely to fulfill the outcomes hoped for with the visit.

Other considerations may include the proximity of the presenter to your school, and whether you are able to afford all of the advertised and unexpected costs of inviting an out-of-town presenter.

All of this takes time and requires access to the right resources, including an intimate knowledge of the book industry for young readers. Teachers, principles and parent associations may not have the all the connections needed or the time to devote to organizing a successful school visit on their own.

The Festival enjoys privileged access to a vast network of contacts, agents, representatives and publishers who work with top authors and emerging talent in YA and children’s literature. Wordfest draws on this network of resources to carefully vet artists for their experience, credentials and reputation. Wordfest also charges a flat rate for school visits so educators always know what to expect. And the Festival works hard to keep its programming affordable by involving volunteers, donors, sponsors, public funders and support from the publishing industry.