Payne Education Center
2021 Grant Recipient
Payne Education Center, an Oklahoma City-based nonprofit teacher training and dyslexia advocacy center, was awarded a $150,000 grant from the Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma to create both synchronous and asynchronous classes for teachers utilizing Payne Education Center’s Structured Literacy-based reading instruction programs for Oklahoma’s teachers.
This unprecedented funding increase reflects the Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma’s understanding the need for more online resources and training for teachers as well as more reading instruction using Structured Literacy-based programs. Structured Literacy prepares students to decode words in an explicit and systematic manner and there is substantial evidence that it is the most effective way to teach ALL students how to read, but it is vital for students with dyslexia.
“The Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma’s commitment to education, specifically literacy and those who struggle to attain it, has allowed Payne Education Center to extend our reach to give teachers the necessary tools to successfully teach children how to read,” said Heather Johnson, Executive Director of Payne Education Center. “Thanks to their sustained generosity over 30 years, Payne will now be able to extend access to online resources and interactive curricula for teachers and their students and parents of those who struggle with dyslexia.”