This summer, NorCal IDA awarded a total of $10,000 in scholarship support to nine teachers who enrolled in summer structured literacy programs. Scholarships are given for programs that are accredited by the International Dyslexia Association. Programs must also include a practicum that allows trainees to apply what they learn during the program in a supervised setting. In the San Francisco Bay Area, such programs typically include Slingerland and some Orton-Gillingham trainings.
Scholarship recipients for 2017 included three public classroom teachers, a private school classroom teacher, a graduate student, resource teachers in public, private, and Catholic schools, and a public school literacy specialist. Scholarships pay a portion of the costs of training for each teacher.
Scholarship committee chair John Santonastaso noted that the program had more applicants than in past years. Increased interest is likely to continue going forward, given the recommendations in the state dyslexia guidelines that teachers obtain training in structured literacy approaches.
If you would like to contribute to the IDA Northern California scholarship fund, you can donate online.
If you would like to apply for a scholarship for next year, check our website in early 2018 for details on available trainings and application procedures.