Release Date: 10/23/25
PITTSBURGH, PA — The Peirce Family Foundation has renewed its investment in literacy equity with a $4 million commitment to strengthen and expand Carlow University’s dyslexia program at the Campus Laboratory School. The new funding builds on the success of the Peirce Dyslexia Center, established in 2021, and will deepen the University’s capacity to prepare highly skilled reading specialists while providing vital tutoring support to children across Western Pennsylvania.
Keely Baronak, Dean of the College of Education and Social Work at Carlow, calls this grant “transformational… it invests in our community by making individualized tutoring accessible for more children, both at the Campus Lab School and through neighborhood-based programs led by local educators.”
Through the new commitment, the grant will continue to provide scholarships for families seeking personalized, small-group tutoring at the Campus Lab School and funds place-based after-school tutoring programs in regional schools and community organizations. These initiatives allow children to receive individualized instruction within their home neighborhoods and supports educators in area schools to provide intervention. “Mrs. Sarah Sora leads the tutoring and intervention program across the region and within The Campus Laboratory School,” Dr. Baronak explained.
The Peirce Family Foundation will also extend support of scholarships for Carlow students enrolled in the University’s Dyslexia Certificate or MEd in Reading Specialist programs, both accredited by the International Dyslexia Association (IDA). Reading Specialist candidates also complete the Knowledge and Practice Exam for Effective Reading Instruction (KPEERI), ensuring graduates are fully prepared to meet the growing demand for evidence-based literacy educators.
“Teaching students to read and write is the worthiest work in the world,” said Val Piccini, MEd, Program Director for Carlow’s MEd in Reading Specialist and Graduate Certificate in Dyslexia Teaching. “Literacy is an equity issue, and my passion lies in… ensuring today’s teachers have the knowledge and tools to reach every learner.”
Since its founding, the Peirce Dyslexia Center has served hundreds of children and educators through Carlow’s structured literacy programs, summer literacy camps, and professional development workshops. More than 40 graduate students have received scholarships through Peirce funding; 900 educators have engaged in training opportunities, and more than 100 children have attended Camp Carlow’s summer reading program.
“Carlow is deeply grateful to the Peirce Family Foundation for their visionary investment in literacy education,” said Carlow President Kathy Humphrey, PhD. “This renewed commitment will change lives; empowering our students, our teachers, and our communities to ensure that every child can read with confidence.”
The renewed $4 million commitment underscores a shared belief between Carlow University and the Peirce Family Foundation: that literacy is foundational to opportunity, justice, and human potential.
About Carlow University
Carlow is a private, co-educational, Catholic university located at the hub of Pittsburgh’s most cutting-edge industries. Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1929, Carlow’s curricula and partnerships reflect its strong commitment to forward-thinking leadership and impactful service to the community.
At Carlow University, we strive to create an experience that is not only life-changing, but world-changing. Carlow graduates are prepared to be pioneers in workforce development, healthcare, education, business, the arts, and more. They are part of a nearly one-hundred-year tradition of ethical leaders with empathy and spirit to create meaningful societal change. Rooted in unity and led by compassion, we are redefining what a leader looks like —and it looks like a Carlow graduate.
Contact
Carlow University
John Cardone, VP of Marketing and Communications
412-578-6100
jvcardone@carlow.edu