Community Impact Hero
This award will be presented to an individual, group, organization or company that demonstrates a commitment to developing broad-based literacy initiatives. This award would recognize the development of a program or another literacy service that benefits the community as a whole.
Educational Hero
This category recognizes educational institutions and/or the individuals within those organizations (educators, administrators, volunteers, professors, or students) who have demonstrated a commitment to excellence in education by promoting literacy and reading-based initiatives. Individuals may be nominated for their dedication to academic excellence or for such acts as creating innovative educational programs or motivating groups to support the cause of literacy.
Financial Literacy Hero
It’s a financial jungle out there. In today’s tough economic environment, it’s never been more necessary – or more difficult – to manage budgets, debt, savings, investment, retirement planning and all the rest. Everyone is called upon to be his own best advisor and that means knowing all you can about the financial issues of the day. Our Financial Literacy Hero will be the person or organization that helps the average person know how to make financial decisions. This hero will empower others with knowledge and literacy to navigate the rough financial waters.
Local Author Hero
This award will recognize a local author of any age who resides within Chester County and has penned and published a book. Preferably, nominees will be individuals who are passionate about the cause of literacy, and whose works are representative of their desire to promote learning and knowledge through the power of a good book.
Medical Literacy Hero
Awards in this category will recognize either an individual or a company that has explored a linkage between health and literacy. Any doctor, nurse, public health organization, health care provider, medical institution, adult education program or public health department that is committed to championing the cause of literacy would qualify. Additionally, individuals who work within these organizations would also qualify for a Medical/Health Literacy Hero Award.
Technology/Innovation Hero
This award will recognize an individual or organization that has used technology and/or innovation to create a literacy-based program or initiative. Examples include web-based learning or informational tools, or the engineering and invention of any device or machine that can aid literacy initiatives, including a struggling reader’s desire to read. Nominees can be any age to qualify for this category.
Uniformed Service Literacy Hero
This category will recognize any man or woman who currently serves in the armed forces or reserves, as well as local police officers, fire fighters, and other uniformed service personnel who has worked to promote literacy among their fellow soldiers or the community at large. Examples of a uniformed service hero could include a soldier teaching another soldier to read and/or write, a local police officer visiting local schools to teach students about safely; a firefighter providing instruction on fire safety to local families, etc. This category could also recognize any individual or corporation within the general community who coordinates literacy-outreach activities to uniformed officers. Examples could include book shipments to soldiers, tutoring information, virtual literacy support groups, etc.
Youth Literacy Hero
This award will recognize a literacy-based action of extraordinary kindness, courage or unselfishness among youth in the community. Nominees may have changed another’s life, or had their own life transformed, through the power of books, reading and literacy. (Nominees must be aged 21 or younger, and can include children as young as infants and toddlers.)
