P.A.C.E (Canada) is now accepting submissions to the Helen Isobel Sissons Canadian Children’s Story Award. This award is a cash grant and is intended to encourage the development of literature for young children.

Born and educated in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Helen Isobel Sissons is remembered as educator, conciliator and genuine friend to many. A lover of life and people, she treated others with respect and sensitivity and made a difference in the life and career of the many whose lives she touched in Canada and in other countries, including Jamaica. Helen was committed to human rights and equity. She contributed a great deal to the positive initiatives taken by the Toronto school system to make the city a welcoming environment for immigrant and refugee children and their parents during the challenging seventies and eighties. Her work with inner-city schools was outstanding. Helen’s personal commitment to enhancing the quality of life for youth and for new Canadians was demonstrated over the years in countless ways. As Toronto (District) School Board’s first Associate Director of Personnel, she pioneered procedures for more equitable hiring and promotion of the city’s school board employees. She was honoured by the volunteer groups she served over the years, including Beta Sigma Phi and (Women for) P.A.C.E. (Canada). The Toronto Public Schools Principals’ Association and the Organization for Women in Leadership were among the groups that also recognized her contribution.

Celebrate Helen’s leadership and community contribution by creating stories for young children that reflect the diversity of the world’s population.

Awards Criteria and Submission Guidelines

Manuscript must be:

• be unpublished up to the time of application
• be written by a resident of Canada or the Caribbean
• have special appeal for children up to seven years of age
• reflect the diversity of the world’s population and values desirable in global citizens

Manuscript Submission Guidelines:

• Length should be appropriate to the genre of the story and the age of the children for whom the story is written.
• If illustrations are central to the storyline, a brief description of these should be included with the manuscript. Please do not include original artwork.
• Submissions should be typed, double-spaced, on 8½ x 11 “ paper in 12 point font.
• Name and address should appear on the title page. Subsequent pages should be numbered and include a title header.
• Cover Letter must include: author’s full name, address, telephone number(s), fax number and email address, if available. The letter should also include a brief biography of the author and a brief statement indicating how the manuscript meets each of the award criteria.

The manuscript submitted should be original and unpublished. Three copies of the hard copy manuscript should be provided, with a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE). Please ensure that your submission meets all of the guidelines. Incomplete submissions will not be considered for the Award. P.A.C.E. will not be contacting those whose submissions are not complete. Manuscripts with a SASE will be returned to the author.

Closing date for Submissions: Thursday March 24, 2011.

Submissions can be email to email@pacecanada.org or mailed to:

Chair, Award Committee – Helen Sissons Canadian Children’s Story Award
P.A.C.E. (Canada)
33 Hazelton Lane, Lower Ste. 14
Toronto, Ontartio M5R 2E3

For additional information, or to view other awards and bursaries, please visit www.pacecanada.org or call 416-208-3103.