Schleck receives NCTE Intellectual Freedom Award

Julia Schleck photo on teal acrylic-painted background
Photo credit: Image courtesy of NCTE

September 1, 2022 by Erin Chambers

Associate Professor & Vice Chair Julia Schleck is the recipient of two annual awards presented by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and its affiliates: the NCTE National Intellectual Freedom Award, and the NCTE-affiliate Nebraska English Language Arts Council (NELAC) Intellectual Freedom Award. The awards, which honor individuals, groups, or institutions for advancing the cause of intellectual freedom, were presented to Schleck in recognition of her activism and published work on academic freedom.

“Reading enables us to understand our current world and to envision our collective future,” says Schleck in the NCTE’s official press release. “Those who open new intellectual and creative worlds to us through teaching reading, literature, and writing are helping to create a richer and more humane future for us all. At a moment when renewed efforts at censorship threaten students’ access to many books and ideas, and teachers are once again under attack, it is critical to support the people who have dedicated their lives to teaching reading and writing and protected free access to books and learning for all.”

Another 2022 NCTE Award was presented to UNL English alum Ada Hubrig. Hubrig, who received their Ph.D. in English from UNL and is now Assistant Professor of English at Sam Houston State University, won the NCTE's Leadership Award for People with Disabilities.