Authors for Earth Day (A4ED) is an international coalition of children's authors and illustrators that promotes environmental awareness and raises money for conservation through special Earth Day school visits. Every A4ED participant schedules a school visit in the month of April and donates 30-100% of their speaking fee to a 501(c)(3) non-profit conservation organization as decided by a student vote at the author's host school. This annual event is designed to empower kids to find their "voice" as writers and as voters, and to use that voice to help care for our blue planet.
Thousands of students from New York to California to Australia have already benefitted from the generosity of our amazing authors! And our growing coalition has contributed more than $15,750 to organizations striving for a more sustainable future. This year even Lin Oliver joined the effort. Lin is the renowned author of the Who Shrunk Daniel Funk? series, Henry Winkler's co-author on the Hank Zipzer series, a respected televison executive and beloved co-founder of SCBWI. After giving a (no doubt, funny) talk in April 2012, she donated 50% of her speaking fee to Heal the Bay. We hope Lin's leadership inspires more eco-minded authors and illustrators to join the A4ED team!
We have now expanded our community outreach too. The launch of an A4ED Blog ensures readers can meet some of their favorite authors all year round. Award-winning contributors share unique personal insight into their writing with some valuable thoughts about living a little "greener."
Join us! If you are a traditionally published author or illustrator, join us in giving students the power of voice to protect their future. Simply email us at infoATAuthorsForEarthDayDOTorg. If you are a librarian, media specialist, teacher or principal, please browse our schools page for more details and consider scheduling one of the talented professionals on our growing list of Available Authors & Illustrators. Together, we are really making a difference!
The A4ED effort would not be where it is today without the kindness of Jerry and Eileen Spinelli. Newbery author Jerry Spinelli seldom does school visits these days, yet he and his wife, award-winning author & poet Eileen Spinelli wanted to support our endeavor. After some reflection, the couple made a generous contribution to Bat Conservation International. I do have a soft spot for bats these days. We spend summers in Chautauqua, NY, where there are lots of bats and no mosquito bites. Bats are honored as the community “bird,” wrote Jerry. All of us at Authors for Earth Day are grateful for the Spinellis’ environmental spirit! Jerry won the Newbery Medal for his teen novel Maniac Magee and later earned a Newbery Honor for Wringer. Eileen has written dozens of children’s books, garnering an extensive list of awards. Our sincere thanks to these stewards of literacy and landscape!