Our Dyslexia Champion awards honor Iowans who give their time and talents to raise dyslexia awareness and improve the dyslexia landscape in our state. Award winners have gone above and beyond to make a positive impact on children, families, educators and communities.
Nominations for Dyslexia Champion awards typically open in late summer. Individuals of any age can be nominated, but nominees must be Iowa residents. Winners are chosen by the Decoding Dyslexia Iowa Board of Directors and publicly announced at our October conference and on social media.
2024 Dyslexia Champion Award Winners:
Wendy Robinson has a long career with Heartland AEA and has been advocating for structured literacy in Iowa classrooms for decades. We met Wendy in 2014 when she attended one of our first dyslexia events. We encountered her again that year at the Iowa State Capitol, where she supported our efforts to pass our state's first dyslexia law. In her role at Heartland, Wendy has taught many courses on dyslexia and was one of the first educators in the state to do so. She has advocated for LETRS training in central Iowa and has mentored and supported many teachers in their efforts to implement evidence-based instruction for their students. Most recently, Wendy provided input into the Iowa Department of Education's position statement in support of the science of reading, and she was an important voice in the state's literacy standards review team.
Heidi is one of the of the co-founders of Decoding Dyslexia Iowa, and without her our organization would not be what it is today. In 2013, after struggling to get help at school for one of her children, Heidi learned about a dyslexia advocacy group forming in New Jersey. She immediately reached out to them for more information, and Decoding Dyslexia Iowa was born. Heidi remained active with DDIA for several years and went on to start several other dyslexia tutoring organizations. Currently she is the owner and Executive Director of Aspire Academy in Urbandale. Recently she has partnered with the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque to start a tutoring organization in that area that will offer scholarships to its students. We have known Heidi for many years and have observed first-hand her willingness to go above and beyond to help the parents and students.
2023 Dyslexia Champion Award Winners:
Elizabeth Hoksbergen is the Executive Director of Apples of Gold Center for Learning and is a fierce advocate for students with dyslexia, their families, and their teachers. Her knowledge of dyslexia and passion for educating others is unparalleled. Elizabeth inspires others with her positive vision for Iowa and often speaks of how we will "turn the tide" one step at a time. Over the years she has used her voice to advocate for change in many ways, and she encourages the students, families and teachers she meets to do the same. According to her nominator, serving others is her passion. "Elizabeth is always available to guide, problem-solve, collaborate and provide insight to not only myself but to many educators and families. She is a true inspiration to me and many others. She goes above and beyond the call of duty in all that she does."
Leanne Klinkenberg was one of the first volunteers to start a dyslexia support group for Iowa parents. She ran a group in the Cedar Falls/Waterloo area for many years and provided support, encouragement and advice to other parents striving to help their dyslexic children succeed. After teaching her own son to read, Leanne became a structured literacy tutor to help other kids learn too. The parents who nominated Leanne said she provided much more than tutoring. As one nominator stated, "There are not enough positive adjectives for Leanne and the passion she has for teaching dyslexic youth and advocating for their (and their family's) needs. She is incredibly knowledgeable in all aspects of the dyslexia journey. Our family is indebted to Leanne for everything she has done for us!" Active on Facebook, Leanne uses her voice to raise dyslexia awareness and advocate for quality reading instruction in her local district and across the state.
Amy Manning is a dedicated teacher who has given countless hours to raising dyslexia awareness and helping educators to better understand and support students with dyslexia. She was part of the first group of Iowa educators to complete the Dyslexia Specialist endorsement program at the University of Iowa in 2022. Amy uses her knowledge not only to help her students but also her colleagues. She is the founder of the Iowa Teacher Dyslexia Support Group, a statewide virtual group for Iowa educators who want to learn more about dyslexia and the science of reading. As the group's leader, Amy organizes monthly professional development meetings for Iowa educators, which feature nationally recognized guest speakers and opportunities for learning and discussion.