Hoboken Dual Language Charter School (HoLa) 8th grader Georgie Galindez has been recognized as a 2024 Promising Young Writer by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).

Galindez received a “Superior” recognition for her submission reflecting on a personal story of post-pandemic disconnection and grief in response to American Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman’s “The Miracle of Morning.”

“I am honored to receive this recognition as a Promising Young Writer and thank the judges for their consideration. This opportunity allowed me to express my perspective on the impact of the pandemic on youth. I know people went through a lot of hardships at that time, but it was also a period where we could all grow. Hopefully other writers are inspired to express themselves so they use their voice to connect with other people,” said Galindez.

“HoLa’s proven approach to language education is on display in the work of our immensely talented young writers. The wealth of cultural immersion and experiential opportunities they receive complements each student’s unique creative skills, yielding the authors, playwrights and poet laureates of tomorrow. Georgie, you make your entire school and community so proud of what you’ve accomplished,” said Jennifer Sargent, Executive Director of HoLa Hoboken.

Over 177 students participated in the contest this year, hailing from 33 states and Puerto Rico, as well as Canada and South Africa.

Submissions were graded by a panel of judges on a variety of criteria including effectiveness, expression, language use, unique perspective and voice.

NCTE was formed a century ago to further the English arts and instruction at all levels of education, and has held the competition since 1985 to spotlight the writing talents of eighth-grade students and the importance of the written word.

For more information about the Promising Young Writers Program, see http://www.ncte.org/awards/promising-young-writers/.  

The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is the nation’s most comprehensive literacy organization, supporting more than 25,000 teachers across the pre K–college spectrum: www.ncte.org.

About Hoboken Dual Language Charter School: 

HoLa is HoLa! Founded in 2010, Hoboken Dual Language Charter School (HoLa) is the first and only free public Spanish + English Dual Language Charter School in New Jersey. Each year HoLa educates 430+ children from Kindergarten to 8th grade through an immersive Spanish/English dual language approach. Students predominantly join HoLa in Kindergarten and, regardless of language background, spend 90% of their day in Spanish-speaking classrooms in the early grades. Students gradually receive increasing amounts of instruction in English as they get older, and by 4^th grade, instruction is 50% Spanish and 50% English.  

HoLa’s mission is to develop our students into bilingual, bi-literate, and culturally aware global citizens who are highly engaged contributors to their communities. A diverse faculty is critical to achieving our mission – HoLa’s staff is 90% Hispanic and represents over 15 different countries throughout the Americas and Europe.

HoLa is committed to providing an exceptional education in Spanish and English to develop engaged, well-rounded bilingual citizens with a global and multicultural perspective, who take personal responsibility for becoming positive members of their communities. 

Photo courtesy of HoLa.