Children’s Dyslexia Center of Peoria is the new name for the Valley of Peoria Scottish Rite Learning Center. “The new name better describes the mission of our Center,” said Gina Cooke, Center Director. The official title “The 32° Masonic Learning Centers for Children, Inc.” has proven cumbersome and less than descriptive. The review of the name centered on various aspects: First, how it could be simplified without losing its identity or continuity. A second issue was that the old name contained no identification as to what the children are learning at the center. Finally, the previous name wrongly suggested that “only Masons’ children” are involved.

The Peoria Center opened in 2006 and currently tutors 24 students. Children are tutored one-on-one twice a week after regular school hours. This allows for the curriculum to be tailored to each individual child as necessary, and progress is made in small, readily quantifiable steps. Students are tutored at no cost to the family. The current waiting time for admission to the Peoria Center is about two years. The tutoring lab is located at the Masonic building at 2900 W. Lake St., Peoria. Each Center is administered by its own director, has its own staff, and is governed by a volunteer Board of Governors. The Board is responsible for fund-raising with the objective of becoming self-supporting within five years.

The Scottish Rite Masons, Northern Jurisdiction, operates more than 50 active Children’s Dyslexia Centers in 13 states, which tackle the challenge of dyslexia head-on, both by providing tutoring for children with dyslexia and by training a growing cadre of highly skilled and dedicated tutors. It is hoped that, since 15 to 20 percent of all Americans suffer to a greater or lesser degree from the effects of dyslexia, its incorporation into the name may help those that wish to support the efforts of the Scottish Rite to know the mission of the centers.