Arizona State University Wins the 2013 Estela and Raúl Mora Award
Associate professor Dr. Jim Blasingame and English education doctoral student Tracey Flores spoke with award founder and author Pat Mora about the thought process that went into organizing their April Día celebration, a collaborative community event which included appearances by authors Tom Leveen, Aprilynne Pike, Bill Konigsberg, Angela Morrison, and Janette Rallison.
“2013 was our first Día celebration that focused on students in grades 6-12. In the past, we have celebrated with students in K-12, but for this celebration, we decided to really focus our energies in creating a space that honored the voice of the adolescent reader and writer. This is a very unique time in their lives, one in which they are finding out more about who they are and the kind of person they want to be, and through reading and writing, they can explore their world and realize their lives in new ways. The idea of sharing your story, letting your voice be heard and envisioning a world full of possibilities was threaded into each and every part of the day.”
