Aldine ISD Festival de Primavera Returns for Fifth Year, Inviting All Emergent Bilingual Families

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Join us on April 18 for a free morning event featuring award-winning authors, a national speaker, and family resources.

Aldine ISD Festival de Primavera Event Details

Saturday, April 18, 2026
9 a.m. – noon
M.O. Campbell Educational Center, 1865 Aldine Bender Road, Houston, TX 77032
Free for all families.

After speaking with families in 2024, award-winning author Marcelo Verdad signed books.

At the district’s recent Choice Schools Festival, Elizabeth Godoy recognized a student and mentioned the upcoming Festival de Primavera (Spring Festival). His face lit up.

He remembered the last in-person spring festival, where he had met Raul the Third, the celebrated illustrator and author whose colorful, culture-rich books have captivated young readers across the country. After that day, the student went home and researched everything he could find about the author. He became a devoted fan. And when he heard the festival was coming back this spring, he said he planned to return to meet more authors, get more books, and feel that excitement all over again.

Festival de Primavera 2023

That moment is exactly what the Festival de Primavera is designed to create — an event where emergent bilingual families are welcomed, connected to resources, and celebrated as vital members of the Aldine ISD community. Now in its fifth year, Aldine ISD’s annual Festival de Primavera takes a meaningful step forward, expanding its reach to welcome and celebrate emergent bilingual students and families from all language backgrounds across the district.

What began in 2022 as a celebration connecting Spanish-speaking families to district resources has grown to welcome an average of 1,000 attendees at each in-person event. This year, the festival reflects the full breadth of who Aldine ISD serves. Of the district’s 51,502 enrolled students, 24,210 — nearly 47% — are emergent bilingual learners, speaking languages as varied as the communities they come from.

“Eli and I decided we wanted to make sure that all students in Aldine feel like they have a place in our district,” said Eva Carrillo-Iñiguez, Aldine ISD director of multilingual special programs, referring to her colleague Elizabeth Godoy, Title III family, literacy, and outreach liaison. “This festival is one way we make that real. This event is one way we say — loudly and clearly — that they belong here and we are here for them.”

A Morning Full of Family Activities

Families can enjoy a range of morning activities, including free books for students, author talks, and book signings, a featured speaker, a petting zoo, a fire truck visit, a soccer clinic, student presentations, arts and crafts, games, community resource tables (in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese), and concessions stands operated by student groups.

Featured Authors and Free Signed Books

At 9 a.m., two award-winning authors will take the stage — and every student in attendance will receive a free signed copy of each author’s book. For many students, meeting a published author feels nothing short of extraordinary.

“Students are always excited to meet authors and get their books signed and take pictures with them,” Carrillo-Iñiguez said. “For them, it is like meeting a celebrity!”

Dr. Edith Treviño, nationally known as “Dr. ET,” is a dynamic presenter, storyteller, author, advocate, and educator on the Texas-Mexico border. Dr. ET is an immigrant from Mexico and a U.S. Army Reserve veteran. She co-authored The Death of My Mexican Name and authored children’s books, including I’m María, The Family Translator, and La Chancla’s True Story. Her work is shaped by the border life of La Frontera — the culture and experiences of students and families on both sides of the border.

Angela Pham Krans is the award-winning author of Finding Papa, recipient of the Asian/Pacific American Honor Award for Literature. Her other titles, including Words Between Us and Another Word for Neighbor, have been widely praised. Angela presents in English and Vietnamese, making her visit especially meaningful this year as the festival welcomes all emergent bilingual communities.

Together, these two authors bring voices that mirror the diverse backgrounds, languages, and stories of the Aldine ISD family.

Guest Speaker: Dr. José Luis Zelaya

At 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., nationally recognized educator and speaker Dr. José Luis Zelaya will lead two sessions focused on life after high school.

• 10 a.m.: Completing Your College Application
• 11 a.m.: Finding Your Voice: How to Write a College Essay

Dr. Zelaya’s own story is one of the most powerful in education. He grew up in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, came to the United States as an unaccompanied minor, and went on to earn a Ph.D. in Urban Education from Texas A&M University. His TED Talk, From a Street Child to a Ph.D., has inspired students and communities across the country. He now leads Dr. Zelaya Educational Consulting LLC, working with first-generation college students and emergent bilingual communities to turn ambition into opportunity.

His sessions connect directly to Aldine ISD’s Accelerate strategic plan and Dr. Goffney’s commitment to ensuring every student graduates with real choices and real opportunities waiting for them.

All Means All in Aldine

Superintendent Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney has been a vocal supporter of the Festival de Primavera since its inception — and her vision has always been clear.

“All means all in Aldine,” Goffney said. “That means every child, every family, every language, and every culture. We believe deeply in the power of being bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural — not as something families need to apologize for or leave behind, but as a strength and an advantage they carry with them. The languages and cultures our families bring from their home countries are not barriers. They are gifts. And this festival is part of our #AldineStory. It’s our way of honoring those gifts and saying to every family: you belong here, and Aldine is better because you are here.”

For many Aldine ISD families, the connection to their home country runs deep — passed down across generations, kept alive through language, food, tradition, and story. The Festival de Primavera is built on the understanding that a child who is proud of where they come from is ready to go anywhere.

Questions

We invite all families to join us at the Festival de Primavera to celebrate your stories and cultures with a morning dedicated to them. For more information, contact Eva Carrillo-Iñiguez, Aldine ISD director of multilingual special programs, at [email protected]; or Elizabeth Godoy, Aldine ISD Title III family, literacy, and outreach liaison, at [email protected] in the Multilingual Department, which is sponsoring the event. Come be a part of this vibrant community event!

In Aldine ISD, nearly half of the students speak a language that carries a story, a culture, and a family’s history. On April 18, we invite you to join us in celebrating their languages and cultures at our districtwide multilingual celebration — because here, all means all.