2027 Jason Reynolds / Simon & Schuster Travel Grant Application Now Open

The American Library Association (ALA) is pleased to announce that applications are now open for the 2027 Jason Reynolds / Simon & Schuster Travel Grant.

The grant will provide financial support to five (5) Black/African American youth or teen services librarians and school librarians/media specialists working in public or school libraries.

Each recipient will receive up to $3,000, with a minimum award of $1,500, to help cover expenses associated with attending the 2027 ALA Annual Conference. Eligible expenses may include travel, lodging, conference registration, meals and a ticket to the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Breakfast.

Applications are due by December 15, 2026. Five recipients will be selected, and the awardees will be announced in February 2027.

Grant recipients will also be recognized during the 2027 ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, at the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Breakfast.

We encourage eligible librarians and school library professionals to apply for this opportunity to support their participation in ALA’s Annual Conference.

Apply Now.

The grants are funded through a generous donation provided by Simon & Schuster, Inc. and administered by the ALA Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment (HRDR).

For details regarding the selection criteria and/or more information visit the grant’s webpage. 

About the American Library Association

The American Library Association is the largest non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to America’s libraries. The ALA mission is to empower and advocate for all libraries and library workers to ensure equitable access to information for all. For nearly 150 years, ALA has provided resources for information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more information, visit www.ala.org.

About Jason Reynolds

Jason Reynolds is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, a Newbery Award Honoree, a Printz Award Honoree, a two-time National Book Award finalist, a Kirkus Award winner, a Carnegie Medal winner, a two-time Walter Dean Myers Award winner, an NAACP Image Award Winner, and the recipient of multiple Coretta Scott King honors. He’s also the 2020–2022 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. His many books include All American Boys (cowritten with Brendan Kiely); When I Was the Greatest; The Boy in the Black Suit; Stamped (cowritten with Ibram X. Kendi); As Brave as You; For Every One; the Track series (Ghost, Patina, Sunny, and Lu); Look Both Ways; Stuntboy, in the Meantime; Ain’t Burned All the Bright an My Name Is Jason. Mine Too. (both with Jason Griffin); and Long Way Down, which received a Newbery Honor, a Printz Honor, and a Coretta Scott King Honor. He lives in Washington, DC. You can find his ramblings at JasonWritesBooks.com.

“I’m humbled by the opportunity to give back to some of the folks who’ve given so much, not just to me but to our children. I recognize that this conference is more than a good time, but also a necessary tuning fork to ensure our librarians, whether new to the stacks or seasoned veterans, get the encouragement and inspiration necessary to continue to pour into our communities.” --Jason Reynolds

“Jason is constantly looking for ways to help diversify the literary community and rightfully identified access as a key barrier. We’re so proud to be working with him to bring these travel grants to librarians who we desperately need to be a part of the ALA conversation.” -- Justin Chanda

About Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, one of the leading children’s book publishers in the world, comprises the following imprints: Aladdin, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Beach Lane Books, Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, Denene Millner Books, Libros para niños, Little Simon®, Margaret K. McElderry Books, Paula Wiseman Books, Salaam Reads, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, and Simon Spotlight®. While maintaining an extensive award-winning backlist, the division continues to publish acclaimed and bestselling books for children of all ages. Simon & Schuster publishes numerous Caldecott, Newbery, and National Book Award winners. For more information about Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, visit our website.

Related Links

Apply Now

The Grant’s webpage