School History
Our History
Gabriela Mistral Center for Early Childhood opened its doors in August 2005 with a clear mission: to provide high-quality early childhood education in a nurturing and inclusive environment. Named after Gabriela Mistral, the Chilean poet, educator, and Nobel Laureate who championed the power of education, our school honors her legacy through a deep commitment to the development of the whole child.
Gabriela Mistral Center for Early Childhood is one of eight early childhood centers within the Houston Independent School District. Located in the Sharpstown-Gulfton area of Houston, our center exclusively serves Pre-Kindergarten students.
Since opening, Mistral has proudly supported thousands of young learners as they take their first steps into formal education. We believe early childhood is a vital time for social, emotional, and academic growth. That’s why we are committed to creating a joyful, engaging, and developmentally appropriate learning environment where every child can thrive.
THE INSPIRATION FOR THE NAME OF OUR SCHOOL WAS THE FAMOUS WRITER AND NOBEL PRIZE WINNER: "GABRIELA MISTRAL"
Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957), pseudonym for Lucila Godoy y Alcayaga, was born in Vicuña, Chile. The daughter of a dilettante poet, she began to write poetry as a village schoolteacher after a passionate romance with a railway employee who committed suicide. She taught elementary and secondary school for many years until her poetry made her famous. She played an important role in the educational systems of Mexico and Chile, was active in cultural committees of the League of Nations, and was Chilean consul in Naples, Madrid, and Lisbon. She held honorary degrees from the Universities of Florence and Guatemala and was an honorary member of various cultural societies in Chile as well as in the United States, Spain, and Cuba. She taught Spanish literature in the United States at Columbia University, Middlebury College, Vassar College, and at the University of Puerto Rico.
The love poems in memory of the dead, Sonetos de la muerte (1914), made her known throughout Latin America, but her first great collection of poems, Desolación [Despair], was not published until 1922. In 1924 appeared Ternura [Tenderness], a volume of poetry dominated by the theme of childhood; the same theme, linked with that of maternity, plays a significant role in Tala, poems published in 1938. Her complete poetry was published in 1958.
From Nobel Lectures, Literature 1901-1967, Editor Horst Frenz, Elsevier Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 1969
This autobiography/biography was written at the time of the award and first published in the book series Les Prix Nobel. It was later edited and republished in Nobel Lectures. To cite this document, always state the source as shown above.
Gabriela Mistral died on January 10, 1957.
MLA style: "Gabriela Mistral - Biography". Nobelprize.org. 29 Sep 2010