Light of Carroll Awards
Presented by Carroll County Public Library

Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at 8:00 AM
Fireside on Main, 1341 N Main St, Hampstead, Maryland

Award Criteria

Carroll County Public Library (CCPL) presents the Light of Carroll Awards to honor individuals, organizations, and businesses whose extraordinary kindness, courage, and innovative spirit have advanced literacy and learning throughout Carroll County, MD.

Literacy is an individual's ability to understand, evaluate, and apply information to improve their own life and that of their community. It spans reading and writing as well as financial, health, digital, cultural, fine-arts, and historical literacies, underpinned by life skills like decision-making, prioritization, and critical thinking.

Education encompasses both formal and informal learning—whether one-on-one, in a classroom, online, or hands-on—where knowledge is acquired, critical thinking is exercised, and discoveries are made through study, research, and experiential activities.

Nominations

Nominations are open to individuals, nonprofit organizations, and businesses that work directly with individuals to support or instruct in any form of literacy. Each nomination must:

• Demonstrate direct impact
  Include specific examples of how the nominee worked one-on-one or through a project to improve an individual's literacy or learning.
• Show measurable results
  Highlight clear, real-world outcomes in someone's life (e.g., improved reading levels, mastered life-skills, deeper cultural
• Go beyond fundraising or management
  Activities confined to raising funds, recruiting members, or general organizational administration are not eligible.

Recognition Categories

• Basic Literacy Award – (given to individuals, nonprofit organizations, and businesses)
  Honors those who guide individuals of any age through the journey of learning to read. Examples could include introducing a toddler to the alphabet, helping an adult tackle dyslexia, or supporting English-language learners.
• Life Skills Literacy Award – (given to individuals, nonprofit organizations, and businesses)
  Recognizes work that teaches essential everyday competencies such as managing personal finances, navigating digital tools, or understanding health information.
• Cultural Literacy Award – (given to individuals, nonprofit organizations, and businesses)
  Celebrates efforts to deepen understanding of the arts, history, and heritage in Carroll County. Examples could include community performances, museum outreach, or grassroots storytelling that connects people to their shared culture
• Student Award – (given to an individual(s) who lives or attends school in Carroll County, MD)
  Salutes a K–12 learner (public, private, or homeschooled) whose own volunteer projects or creative initiatives have demonstrated both an awareness of community needs and the transformative power of literacy.
• Individual Award – (given to an individual(s))
  Acknowledges a person who lives or works in Carroll County (age 17+, outside K–12) whose personal commitment to improving literacy, be it through mentoring, workshops, or grassroots programs, has measurably uplifted others.
• Organization Award – (given to a nonprofit or business)
  Distinguishes a nonprofit or business whose programs or services reach beyond their own membership to directly improve reading, learning, or life-skills for individuals in our community.
• School Librarian Award
  Awarded to a k-12 school librarian, media specialist, or clerk whose innovative programs have fostered reading, critical thinking, and information-literacy among students.
• Library Staff Award
  Recognizes any employee of any organization that is not a k-12 school library within Carroll County, regardless of title—who has devised hands-on, creative solutions to address community literacy needs and deliver meaningful learning experiences.
  

Previous winners

Sponsorships

We are also looking for sponsors for this event! Please refer anyone who would like to sponsor the event or ideas for sponsors to contact us at light@carr.org. If you are ready to be a sponsor, please review our sponsorship packet and complete the sponsorship agreement and send to the above email address.