My proposal for a reading grant.

1. Innovative Reading Grant Proposal
Overview of Grant:
The AASL Innovative Reading Grant supports the planning and implementation
of a unique and innovative program for children which motivates and encourages
reading, especially with struggling readers (AASL).
Monetary amount: $2,500
Deadline: February 1, 2016
Project Title
The Book Trailers Club
Project Design
A reading/technology club designed for elementary school students to promote
reading within the school.
Proposed Date for Project
August 2016
Abstract of Proposed Project
There are two definitions of a trail, one is a path and the other is to follow. The
Book Trailers Club is created with those twodefinitions in mind. Students in this
club will create and develop their own book trailers. Book trailers are visual
representations of books put into a short video clip (Chance & Lesesne, pg. 27).
These book trailers will be created to publish and share with their peers within
the school. The book trailers will be the path that helps to promote and motivate
reading within the school. This club will create a following that hopes to engage
students both readers and nonreaders.
Through the use of a storyboard and a video editor tool students will create their
book trailers. In the article Rethinking Reading Promotion, Naomi Bates states
that the benefits of book trailers are “[they] take what happens in a reader’s mind
and display it like in real-life. [They] can also make people who watch book
trailers want to read the book. Whatever side people sit on, be it a reader or
nonreader, a book trailer will fill that gap in a powerful, potent way. It’s a
powerful tool for 21st-century students (p. 27).”
In the Book Trailers club students will learn reading, writing, and speaking skills
such as distinguishing story elements and narration whether through writing or
speaking. In addition to these traditional skills, students will also learn 21st-
century skills such as publishing, sharing, correct use of information from the
internet, and utilizing the Creative Commons. Book trailer skills can be taught
quickly and efficiently (Weaver, pg. 9). Students will have fun creating,
developing, and collaborating their own book trailers for others to see.
Statement of the Problem

2. Students need motivation or something engaging to promote reading at the
elementary level. They are having difficulties finding new books that peak their
interests. Some students are reluctant because they have not found a book in
which they take pleasure in.
Goals and Objectives
There are many goals and objectives for this project. The main goal and objective
is to promote reading within the school, and to motivate and peak students'
interests to want to read.
Other goals and objectives would be to engage students with the use of
technology and help them to gain twenty-first century learning skills by creating
book trailers for their peers. The creation of book trailers would also help to
develop writing skills such as persuasive writing and brainstorming their ideas on
a storyboard. Students would learn to analyze and evaluate books to determine
the best way to represent the book they read.
Project Timeline
September-October 2016: Obtain a WeVideo subscription ($249.00/yr for up to
50 users). Train any teachers that are heading the club to familiarize themselves
with the content and tool functions.
November-May 2016: The club will meet during weekly club activity days, during
this time the students will create book trailers. Students should be able to create
at least one book trailer a month.
Possibilities for Dissemination
With the success of the Book Trailers Club within the school, through word of
mouth and the sharing of ideas with other schools in the county this program
could grow and impact other schools.
Proposed Budget
Video Editor Tool: WeVideo.com $249/yr. for 50 Users

3. References:
Chance, R. & Lesesne, T. (2012). Rethinking Reading Promotion. Teacher
Librarian, 39(5), 26-28.
Weaver, A. (2009). Book Trailers- A Web 2.0 Journey: Book trailers, audiences,
and copyright, Access, 23(3), 9-13).
"Awards & Grants Application", American Library Association, August 14, 2014.
http://www.ala.org/aasl/awards/application (Accessed November 27, 2015)
Document ID: 4449ecd5-9c74-3e04-31ce-194c05b9ffe7