51ÁÔÆæ

51ÁÔÆæ 51ÁÔÆæ Intellectual Freedom Award

2026 Recipient: Fitchburg State University

Fitchburg State University is a comprehensive public institution in Massachusetts dedicated to providing accessible, high-quality education and advancing intellectual freedom. Founded as a teachers’ college in 1894, the university has maintained an institutional membership with the 51ÁÔÆæ Council of Teachers of English for decades, actively supporting 51ÁÔÆæ’s mission through faculty and staff participation as committee members, conference presenters, journal contributors, and advocacy leaders within the English language arts community. Recipient of the 51ÁÔÆæ 51ÁÔÆæ Intellectual Freedom Award, Fitchburg State fosters a campus-wide ecosystem that defends the right to read, think, and teach freely. This commitment spans every level of the university: Preservice teachers craft publishable rationale reviews for the 51ÁÔÆæ database, librarians preserve endangered research data and host inclusive community programming, and faculty create equity-driven Open Educational Resources. Grounded in a landmark institutional legacy of protecting student expression — tracing back to the historic 1970 Antonelli v. Hammond decision — Fitchburg State unites faculty, staff, students, and community partners across generations. Together, the university stands with 51ÁÔÆæ to oppose educational restrictions, champion marginalized voices, and prepare future educators to advocate courageously for intellectual freedom in classrooms and libraries nationwide.

Since its founding as a school for teachers in 1894, Fitchburg State University has grown and evolved in its role providing accessible, high-quality public education and advancing intellectual freedom. The institution’s mission and commitment to intellectual freedom transcends individual departments and is demonstrated through an integrated and inclusive approach. Through programming, pedagogy, and scholarship, the faculty, librarians, staff, administrators, students, alumni, and community members are united across programs and generations to promote a broader effort to defend intellectual freedom, stand against the rising tide of restriction in education, and bravely promote equitable access to diverse books and voices.

Deadline: May 1

Award Details

Established in 1997 by 51ÁÔÆæ and SLATE—Support for the Learning and Teaching of English—this award is given to individuals, groups, or institutions that merit recognition for advancing the cause of intellectual freedom. A subcommittee of the 51ÁÔÆæ Ìýselects the recipient(s).

PURPOSE
The purpose of the 51ÁÔÆæ 51ÁÔÆæ Intellectual Freedom Award is to honor individuals, groups, or institutions that merit recognition for advancing the cause of intellectual freedom. Award categories are (1) a national award and (2) an 51ÁÔÆæÌý.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE
Any member of the 51ÁÔÆæ Council of Teachers of English may make a nomination for the national award by following the specifications below.

FREQUENCY/NUMBER OF AWARDS
One national award will be given each year, with up to two honorable mentions.

AWARD SPECIFICS
The national award winner will receive a plaque from 51ÁÔÆæ; honorable mention winners will receive certificates. Awardees will be acknowledged at theÌý during the 51ÁÔÆæ Awards Session on Saturday. The winner will receive complimentary Convention registration and will be mentioned in appropriate Council publications.

AWARD CRITERIA AND JUDGING
°Õ³ó±ðÌýeligibility criteriaÌýfor the national 51ÁÔÆæ Intellectual Freedom Award are as follows:

• the awardee has shown courage in advancing the cause of intellectual freedom or fighting censorship;
• the awardee can be an educator or noneducator;
• the awardee can be an individual, group, or institution;
• the awardee’s activity can be related to particular recent events (e.g., as in a censorship dispute) or it can be ongoing (e.g., as in leadership demonstrated over a period of years);
• the same awardee may not be named for two years in succession.

°Õ³ó±ðÌýprocedural rules for the 51ÁÔÆæ 51ÁÔÆæ Intellectual Freedom Awards are as follows: description of the activities or events that merited the award must be submitted by May 1. Please fill out the Intellectual Freedom Award nomination form provided, and include concise documentation and/or testimony of not less than one single-spaced page and not more than three double-spaced pages and three pages of attachments. This documentation can be uploaded in the form or emailed to 51ÁÔÆæAwards@ncte.org.

EXAMPLES

• a nationally syndicated columnist who has taken a stand for intellectual freedom
• an organization that has been active in censorship cases
• a legislator who has opposed censorship legislation
• an author or film producer whose work focused on intellectual freedom

Judges for the national 51ÁÔÆæ Intellectual Freedom Award will be members of the .

The permission of the potential awardee must be obtained in advance by the nominator. This specification acknowledges that many who act in defense of intellectual freedom remain under continued scrutiny and pressure. They sometimes choose to avoid public notice which, however supportive, places them under further duress.

Please contact 51ÁÔÆæAwards@ncte.org with any questions.

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