Award honors advancement of intellectual freedom.

The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) has selected the New York State English Council (NYSEC) as an Affiliate Intellectual Freedom Award honoree.

The NCTE Affiliate Intellectual Freedom Award honors individuals, groups, or institutions that merit recognition for advancing the cause of intellectual freedom. Each state, regional, and provincial affiliate is urged to establish and implement an Affiliate Intellectual Freedom Award.

The New York State English Council’s nomination application noted:

“This year, NYSEC launched an Intellectual Freedom website hub featuring toolkits, NCTE resources, prominent scholarship, and instructional guidelines to help educators combat censorship. In Spring 2025, NYSEC board members met with legislators to advocate for diverse study materials and mobilized members to contact state representatives. The organization shared vital information about current legislation with their membership and pointed to methods to advocate, co-authored an anti-censorship op-ed in the Albany Times Union, and shared their advocacy blueprint during an NCTE panel on Intellectual Freedom as a part of Banned Books Week in October 2025.”

The award winners will be announced at the 2026 NCTE Annual Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the Affiliate Breakfast on Sunday, November 22.

About NCTE
The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is devoted to improving the teaching and learning of English and the language arts at all levels of education. For more than 100 years, NCTE has worked with its members to offer journals, publications, and resources; to further the voice and expertise of educators as advocates for their students at the local and federal levels; and to share lesson ideas, research, and teaching strategies through its Annual Convention and other professional learning events.