The Children's Dyslexia Center of Lancaster held its first walk in two years at a new location, the Masonic Village in Elizabethtown, on Sept. 24. The new location featured paths leading through the Memorial Grove and gardens. Approximately 20 people participated in the walk, with two children from the center raising close to $2,000. The event raised about $5,000 for the center, which relies on local fundraising to provide free tutoring for children with a dyslexic profile. Children are eligible regardless of economic status or Masonic affiliation. In addition to free tutoring, the center offers free training for adults who hold a bachelor's degree, using multisensory structured teaching based on the Orton-Gillingham approach. This method is a sequential, multisensory, phonetic approach to language. There is a materials fee.

The center is currently seeking individuals who are interested in taking part in the 2023-24 training year. Applications are due by Thursday, Dec. 15. The training will result in a Children's Dyslexia Centers Inc. certified dyslexia practitioner-1 designation. Graduate credit is also available. Upon completion, 180 Act 48 hours will be awarded to teachers for a fee. Training involves 60 lecture hours spread over the course of the year and 100 supervised practicum hours. The tutoring practicum takes place twice weekly after school hours. Training will begin in March 2023 and conclude in May 2024.

The center, which opened in 2002, has assisted more than 200 children with reading and writing and has trained 60 tutors as certified dyslexia practitioners. The center serves close to 50 children annually and can accommodate about 30 children per term. Fundraising efforts by the Lancaster Lodge of Perfection, the board of governors, and the parent group help offset costs associated with operating the program. Tutoring costs close to $6,000 per child each year, and children are often waitlisted for one to two years before there is an opening. The center hopes to expand its fundraising efforts in order to accommodate the increasing number of children in need of help.

For more information, readers may contact the Children's Dyslexia Center of Lancaster at 717-481-5680 or lancaster@cdcinc.org.