NLB Reading Innovation Award

The National Library Board, Singapore (“NLB”)’s Reading Innovation Award recognises Pre-School centres that have designed and developed innovative reading programmes that have helped to promote the joy of reading among children in the Republic of Singapore.

Application for this Award is now open. Please refer to the Information Sheets (pages 2-4 below), for details on the Award. The application form and supporting documents (pages 5-11 below) must be completed and submitted to the NLB by the applicants by 5p.m on Wednesday 15th October 2014 via both email to the NLB ID at and the hard copy documents via registered post to the following address:-

Early Read Team
Reading Innovation Award
Public Library Services Group
National Library Board
Jurong Regional Library
21 Jurong East Central 1
Singapore 609732
Closing Date and Time: 5p.m on Wednesday 15th October 2014

Information Sheet

About the Reading Innovation Award

There are two (2) Award categories for the NLB Reading Innovation Award. There will be ten (10) winners for each category. The winner of each category will receive the following:

Award Category / Prize
Distinction Award / ü  $3,000 per centre
ü  Trophy
Commendation Award / ü  $1,500 per centre
ü  Commendation Plaque

Award Evaluation Criteria and Judging Process

The Pre-School Centre’s reading programme must be currently used as a tool to engage and promote reading at the centre. These Centres will be judged based on the following criteria:
1)  Innovativeness (40%)
2)  Degree of Engagement (30%)
3)  Effectiveness and Impact (30%)
Judging Process:
1)  Pre-School Centres will be informed of the preliminary results by the NLB sometime in December 2014, as forty (40) Pre-School Centres will be short-listed for the Award.
2)  The 2nd round of judging for the above stated 40 centres will include site visits by the NLB’s panel of judges in about January 2015. The final scores for the Award shall be judged based on the following criteria:
i)  40% - Written Submissions
ii)  60% - Site Visits
3)  The Pre-Schools applying for the Award are advised to please indicate the preferred date(s) for the NLB’s visit, as given in the application form (see page 5 below). Kindly note that the final schedule of the Pre-School Centre visits will be decided by the NLB.

Submission Guidelines

The following documents are to be submitted by all Award applicants, namely:-
1)  Application Form
2)  Application Write-up (see Section A below)
3)  Supporting Documents (see Section B below)
All documents must be submitted in both soft copy and hard copy formats (3 sets, non-returnable).
Soft copy is to be emailed to with the following:
I)  Subject header: NLB Reading Innovation Award
II)  File naming convention: NLB Reading Innovation_Name of centre
Should the submission include a video, it has to be in the form of a CD/DVD and appended to the application form.
All hard copy submissions must be in three (3) sets (non-returnable) and sent to the NLB,
Jurong Regional Library by 5p.m on Wednesday 15th October 2014.

Announcement of Winners

Winners will be notified by the NLB via e-mail by Friday 30th January 2015. The Awards will be presented during the NLB’s Reading Innovation Award Ceremony sometime in March 2015 at the Jurong Regional Library.
The judging panel’s decision is final and no correspondence on the Award will be entertained by the NLB and the selected members of the judging panel.

Terms and Conditions

Please note the following:-
1)  Only completed Award application forms will be considered by the NLB.
2)  All submissions must be original. The NLB shall not be liable for any infringement upon any third party intellectual property rights, including any patent; trademark; registered design; copyright; right of publicity; and/or other proprietary and moral rights.
3)  Submissions must not have won any award(s) prior to entering into the NLB’s Reading Innovation Award Programme.
4)  Pre-School Centres with any of the NLB Board members and employee(s) as shareholder(s); investor(s); associate(s) and affiliate(s) shall not be eligible to participate in this NLB’s Reading Innovation Award Programme.
5)  Winners shall be required to participate in a NLB commissioned video film shoot of the Reading Programme held at their respective centres. If there are any third party rights to be obtained to feature materials by the respective Pre-School Centres in these videos, the Award recipients shall obtain the said rights for the NLB. These videos shall be used for all of the NLB’s and the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) purposes.
6)  The NLB reserves the right to reproduce and republish the contents from the applicants for the NLB’s Reading Innovation Award Programme, in any form and media including but not limited to print; electronic media; social media platforms; websites; and/or publications for the NLB’s and MCI’s internal, external and non-commercial purposes.
7)  Winners cannot exploit their status as award winners to endorse or market any products and services for any commercial purposes whatsoever, other than for its centre’s own education, publicity, promotion and marketing purposes in any form and media.
8)  The NLB reserves the right to amend and/or vary any of the terms and conditions of the NLB’s Reading Innovation Award; the above stated prize values; the Award selection criteria, whatsoever, at any time during the term of the Award processes.
9)  The NLB reserves the right to disqualify any Pre-School Centre(s) from the Reading Innovation Award Programme, if the applicants do not abide by the NLB’s stated terms and conditions contained in this document and any correspondence entered into between the Applicants and the NLB.
10)  The judging panel’s decision is final and no correspondence on this matter shall be entertained by the NLB.
By submitting your Pre-School Centre’s Award application entry, you acknowledge that you have read, understood and agreed to the terms and conditions stated in this document.

Enquiries

Please email with the subject heading “NLB Reading Innovation Award” on any further enquiries about this Award.

NLB Reading Innovation Award

APPLICATION FORM

Please complete all sections. Incomplete submissions will not be accepted.

Particulars of Applicant
Name of Pre-School centre
Mailing Address
Name of Principal / Centre Supervisor
Contact No.:
______(O) ______(HP)
Email Address:
Site Visit
Preferred date(s) for site visit*, if shortlisted:
(you may select more than 1 date)
□ 12 Jan 2015 / □ 13 Jan 2015 / □ 14 Jan 2015
□ 15 Jan 2015 / □ 16 Jan 2015
Preferred time of visit:
□ between 9am to 12pm / □ between 2pm to 5pm
* each visit will last approximately 1 hour
Section A: Application Write-up
Pre-School Centres are to provide a detailed write-up of their Reading Programme(s), giving concrete evidence and specific examples, where possible. The NLB strongly encourages the Centres to ensure that, their write-up address the subject areas stated below and to include other relevant information, including photos; images; videos; paper proof, where applicable. This section should not exceed four (4) A4 pages.
<Please adhere to the following format: Arial Font Size 11, single spacing>
·  What are the innovative features of the Reading Programme?
·  Why do you consider these features to be fresh and creative?
·  Please describe how the innovative programme encourages a love of reading through the five (5) Early Literacy Practices of - Read, Write, Tell, Sing and Play.
·  Please describe how teachers have engaged children and parents with the Reading Programme.
·  Please provide evidence of continuous and sustained engagement to build a whole school reading culture.
·  Please provide examples to show that children have benefitted from the Reading Programme.
·  How has the Reading Programme cultivated the joy of reading among children?

Title of Reading Programme:

______

Section B: Supporting Documents

Please attach relevant documents, such as photographs, that help provide evidence and examples to support the submission. For video CD/DVD, it is to be submitted in hard copy together with the application form.

Thank You
Please ensure that all sections (A and B) have been completed and supporting documents are included with the application form. Submissions must reach the Early Read team by 5p.m on Wednesday 15th October 2014 via both email () and hard copy (3 sets, non-returnable) to the following address:
Early Read Team
Reading Innovation Award
Public Library Services Group
National Library Board
Jurong Regional Library
21 Jurong East Central 1
Singapore 609732

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