The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) have named Matt de la Peña as the winner of the National Intellectual Freedom Award.
The Newbery Medal-winning author is being recognized for his work in standing against censorship. He will be presented with this award at this year’s NCTE Annual Convention which is scheduled to take place in November 2016.
Emily Kirkpatrick, the executive director of the NCTE, gave this statement in the press release: “Matt de la Peña is a frequent participant in NCTE. He is an inspiration and presence among NCTE scholars and educators as they connect students with literacy and language to develop understanding of our world. The experiences of de la Peña illustrate why NCTE’s longstanding and vocal commitment to intellectual freedom is a cornerstone of the organization’s beliefs and practices.”