UMO Reading Clinic Awarded Grant to Expand Literacy Support
June 12, 2025
Contact: Rhonda Jessup, Director of Public Relations
MOUNT OLIVE—The University of Mount Olive (UMO) is celebrating an exciting new chapter in its innovative Reading Clinic initiative. Thanks to renewed support from the Anonymous Trust, the program has been awarded $67,725 in grant funding for the 2025-2026 academic year—nearly tripling its initial funding.
Launched in 2023 with a $23,000 grant, the UMO Reading Clinic was designed to address two critical needs: providing struggling elementary students with targeted literacy support and offering UMO education majors valuable, hands-on teaching experience. What began as a pilot program serving 10 first through third graders from North Duplin Elementary has already demonstrated strong success, leading to this new investment and significant program expansion.
“This is a major step forward for the UMO Reading Clinic,” said Dr. Ashley Johnson, Associate Professor of Education and Fieldwork Coordinator at UMO. “The continued generosity of the Anonymous Trust allows us to expand our reach, deepen our services, and ultimately impact more students and future educators.”
With the new funding, the Reading Clinic will implement several key enhancements:
- Expanded Small Group Tutoring: Increasing the number of students served and the intensity of instruction through small group sessions.
- Summer Reading Camp: Launching a summer program to provide consistent reading support beyond the traditional school year.
- Teacher Stipends: Providing stipends to lead teachers at partnering schools in recognition of their vital role in the clinic’s success.
One of the most notable additions for 2025-2026 is a new partnership with Carver Elementary School, allowing the clinic to serve a broader student population and further extend its impact across Duplin and Wayne Counties.
“The students are always eager to learn, and they arrive at the clinic excited and motivated,” Johnson said. “One student even tells his parents he’s ‘going to college’ when he comes for his tutoring sessions. It’s inspiring to see both the academic growth and the confidence these young learners are developing.”
The original concept for the Reading Clinic emerged from UMO’s participation in the Science of Reading Self-Study, which highlighted both the need for enhanced reading comprehension among local elementary students and the importance of strengthening the practical training experiences for UMO’s education majors. That research led to the proposal, which secured initial funding from the Anonymous Trust.
Located on the first floor of Henderson Hall, the clinic uses evidence-based materials such as Flyleaf decodable texts and follows an individualized approach. Each student is assessed at the beginning of the program to determine reading comprehension, competency, and recall levels, allowing for customized instruction and mid-year progress evaluations.
“The UMO Reading Clinic is an innovative initiative that exemplifies a win-win opportunity for both our students and the community,” said Dr. Amanda Bullard-Maxwell, Assistant Dean of Education. “Not only does it provide our future teachers with invaluable experience, but it directly reflects UMO’s commitment to community engagement and service.”
The University of Mount Olive is a private institution rooted in the liberal arts tradition with defining Christian values. The University was founded by the Convention of Original Free Will Baptists. For more information, visit www.umo.edu.
