Meet Brooke Bessesen of Authors for Earth Day

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brooke Bessesen.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Brooke. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
The idea for Authors for Earth Day came to me after a special school visit at Encanto Elementary in Phoenix, Arizona, in spring 2008. As a children’s author-illustrator, I am always looking for meaningful ways to connect with young readers. And since that visit happened to fall on April 22—which is Earth Day—I decided to donate my paid speaking fee to a conservation organization based on the vote of the students. It seemed like a fun way to engage and empower them to help care for our blue planet.

Before my visit, I emailed the school five conservation organizations for the students to research. The teachers and kids really got into it! They read websites, discussed the “nominee” non-profits and made posters for their hallways. The day I arrived, everyone wore Earth Day pins and t-shirts. The kids voted for their favorite charity, and everyone cheered when the winning organization was announced!

As I’d hoped, my efforts had a tangibly positive impact—the students were thrilled to voice their support for wild animals and habitats, and the charity received money for their cause. Plus, there was an unexpected bonus: the conservation organization was so thrilled by the uniqueness of the contribution that they sent library materials to the school to thank students and staff for their support. It was a win-win-win for everyone.

Driving home from Encanto Elementary, I mulled over the concept of an annual multi-author event. The potential seemed enormous! Fueled by my vision, I spent the following year building a website, preparing resource materials, and inviting award-winning authors and illustrators to join my grassroots program. Thankfully a few colleagues, who also saw the program’s potential, did similar school visits 2010.

Now, Authors for Earth Day has over 60 participants—prestigious kid-lit authors and illustrators like Jeff Kinney (“Diary of a Wimpy Kid”), Rebecca Stead (“When You Reach Me”), Andrew Clements (“Frindle”), Molly Idle (“Flora and the Flamingo”), Dan Gutman (“My Weird School”), among others. We have supported A4ED school visits in classrooms all across the United States, as well as in Canada, Australia, and Israel. And the students at our events have directed nearly $75,000 in donations to more than 80 conservation organizations worldwide.

Authors for Earth Day is neither a business nor a non-profit organization—we are merely a coalition of like-minded children’s authors, who have unified through an online platform. Though each participant schedules his or her own school visit, we provide resources and reminders, promote every event and celebrate our combined success. Overseeing an international team is a lot of work. We have a tiny volunteer staff, and everyone has to fit A4ED responsibilities between their professional commitments and demanding writing deadlines. That said, it’s been a joy and an honor to support the educational and financial contributions of so many generous authors and illustrators. And as Team ’18 gears up for another successful year of community outreach, I find myself once again buoyed to be part of such a positive venture.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Authors for Earth Day; abbreviated A4ED – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Authors for Earth Day specializes in environmental education, working directly with school students through special author visits. Our accomplishments have been published in several top industry journals, including Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal, and our program has been nationally promoted by the Children’s Book Council, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), and Earth Day Network.

As part of our community outreach, we also host an A4ED Blog, for which dozens of award-winning and best-selling children’s authors have contributed original Nature-themed writings, this ever-growing collection of thought-provoking essays is readily accessible to educators, parents and librarians. Another popular A4ED program is our Eco-Book of the Month: wonderful, hand-selected titles for both young and adult readers posted on our A4ED Facebook Page.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
As more seeds are planted and awareness about Authors for Earth Day grows, we expect our coalition to reach even greater heights. Our next big goal is to cross the $100,000 mark in total contributions. With the generosity and enthusiasm of our authors and illustrators, it just might happen in 2018.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.authorsforearthday.org
• Email: info@authorsforearthday.org
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/Authors-for-Earth-Day-145034771759/
• Other: www.authorsforearthday.org/blog

Image Credit:
Authors for Earth Day

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