Washington, D.C. – Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva today congratulated several schools throughout District 7 for receiving a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) “More Perfect Union” award, which includes an expertly selected series of books for each school’s library that promotes reflection on the concept of the United States as a “union.”

As the American people begin observing the 150th anniversary of the Civil War (2011-2015), the “More Perfect Union” program in schools and public libraries will promote student awareness of the political and social ideas that held the country together throughout its history. “A More Perfect Union” is the seventh We the People Bookshelf program sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities and will be distributed to 4,000 K-12 schools and public libraries in cooperation with the American Library Association.

“Learning more about the strength of this country in times of adversity is an excellent way to honor our history, and I encourage students to make the most of the opportunity,” Grijalva said. “Our union is what makes the American experience so wonderful and inspiring, and the NEH is right to highlight it through these awards.”

The recipients in District 7 include:

•Lattie Coor Elementary School and Michael Anderson Elementary School (Avondale)
•Gila Bend Unified School District (Gila Bend)
•Butterfield Elementary School, Desert Wind Middle School, Maricopa Elementary School, Maricopa Wells Middle School, Pima Butte Elementary School and Santa Rosa Elementary School (Maricopa)
•Rio Rico High School (Rio Rico)
•Amphitheater High School, Davis Bilingual School and San Miguel Rowe High School (Tucson)

Each recipient will receive complementary copies of 23 books, including several in Spanish, that span pre-college age groups. Selections include A More Perfect Union: The Story of Our Constitution by Betsy and Giulio Maestro for the Kindergarten-3rd grade group, César ¡Si, Se Puede! / Yes, We Can! by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand for grades 4-6, Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson for grades 7 and 8, and The Souls of Black Folk by W. E. B. DuBois for high school students.

For more information and a complete listing, visit the NEH program Web site.