Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice - The Willow Awards, Inc. (SYRCA) is a volunteer-run non-profit, registered charity begun in 2001. (charity number: 87530 3919 RR0001)
The mission of The Willow Awards is to promote reading by granting a "Willow Award" to the Canadian and/or Saskatchewan book(s) voted by Saskatchewan students to be the best of those nominated in designated categories for a specific year.
In an effort to encourage participation by all children, regardless of the level at which they are reading, three awards have been established:
Students may vote in any category in which they have read the minimum number of books required. Individual ballots or class tallies of individual votes may be submitted.
In the first year of voting (2002), more than 5,000 students participated. The number of participants has increased to more than 10,000 in 2007-2008. Ballots and how to vote for the current Willow Awards may be found on the nominees page.
Participation in the Willow Awards is free to Saskatchewan students. Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice - The Willow Awards Inc. depends on membership donations and sponsorships to operate. Please consider a membership/donation. Our charity business number is: 87530 3919 RR0001. (Membership/donation form -pdf - 157KB)
| President: | Florence Barton, Saskatoon |
| Vice President: | Ann Atchison, Saskatoon |
| Vice President: | Ruth Garnett, Saskatoon |
| Treasurer: | Margaret Steger, Regina |
| Secretary: | Donna Koch, Regina |
| Past President: | Claire Isaac, Regina |
| Directors at Large: | Wilfred Burton, Regina |
| SLA Representative: | Jocelyn Mark Provost, La Ronge |
| SSLA Representative: | Carlene Walter, Saskatoon |
The 2008-2009 Annual Report is available in 4 parts because it is too large to post as a single document - only 20 pages including covers, but it was created using a publishing program that creates and retains space consuming codes for printing.
Annual Report, Part 1(Mission, Board, President's & Vice Presidents' Reports -pdf - 704 KB)
Annual Report, Part 2 (Financial Statement - pdf - 316 KB)
Annual Report, Part 3 (Fundraising, Voting & Website Reports -pdf - 800 KB)
In 2008-2009, the SYRCA Board created a planning document to guide the organization in the next few years.
SYRCA - Planning Doc.pdf 74.7 KB
Three (3) copies of books for consideration should be shipped to the appropriate Selection Committee Chair as indicated below:
Ship to:
Wilfred Burton,Regina Public School Board, 1600 4th Ave, Regina, SK S4R 8C8
Ship to:
Claire Isaac, Regina Public Library, 2311 12th Ave., Regina, SK S4P 0N3
Ship to:
Ruth Garnett, Buena Vista School, 1306 Lorne Ave., Saskatoon, SK S7H 1X8
Publishers whose books are selected as Willow Awards' nominees will be notified in February.