Our Namesake
Alma Flor Ada
Author. Educator. Bridge builder. The woman whose name our school carries, and whose belief shapes everything we do.
A Life of Bridging Worlds
An award-winning author. A pioneering scholar. A grandmother. A poet.
Dr. Alma Flor Ada is the award-winning author of more than 200 books for children. She is a poet, storyteller, educator, mother, and grandmother. With a Ph.D. in literature and a lifelong love for stories, she has mastered the art of retelling traditional folktales and nursery rhymes from across Latin America. Her work offers rich, multicultural perspectives for all children, Spanish-speaking, English-speaking, and the millions of children growing up between two worlds.
From Camagüey to Harvard
Alma Flor Ada grew up with her extended family in a big house on the outskirts of Camagüey, Cuba. As a young girl, she loved to read, play outside on the farm, and listen to her mother sing old ballads at bedtime. Her grandmother used to recite poetry and tell her traditional folktales.
After studying English and attending bilingual schools, Alma Flor earned a scholarship to a college in the United States at the age of 17. For many years, she followed her academic interests around the globe. In Spain, she earned a degree in Hispanic Studies. In Peru, she received a Ph.D. in Spanish Literature.
After conducting post-doctoral research at Harvard University, she became a professor at the University of San Francisco, where she directed the Center for Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults. Over the years, Alma Flor has been an influential leader in the field of bilingual education in the United States.
200+
Children's Books
Ph.D.
Spanish Literature
USF
Professor Emerita
Why Alma Flor
Her belief shaped ours.
We named our school after Alma Flor Ada because we carry her belief: that children who grow up speaking two languages do not just learn a skill. They inherit a way of seeing the world. They become the bridge.
Alma Flor's life is a living example of what bilingual children can become. Born in Cuba, educated across continents, she has built a life and a body of work that lifts up the dignity of every child growing up between languages and cultures. Our school exists in her name because we want every child who walks through our doors to know what is possible when you grow up bilingual, curious, and rooted in your own story.
"Bilingualism is a gift that lasts a lifetime."
— Alma Flor Ada
Read her work.
Alma Flor Ada's books are part of the AFA classroom library and the families we serve. We recommend exploring her work as part of the bilingual reading life we are building with your child.
Want to know more about how Alma Flor's work shapes our school?