FEATURE Since its opening in 2007, the Browning Learning Center has become a true Prep success story. With a team of learning specialists providing a structured program of academic support, the program has empowered hundreds of students to write their own Prep success stories. Join us for a closer look at how the program helps students with documented learning differences develop the tools to thrive in Prep’s rigorous academic environment.
A Foundation for Success
by Matthew Holowienka, ’11
The bell signaling the start of the day at Grand & Warren has not yet rung. It will not ring for another 40 minutes. Yet, on the third floor of Mulry Hall, in a well-equipped space overlooking the iconic crossroads of Prep’s campus, students are already diligently at work in a review session hosted by the Browning Learning Center. For many young members of the Prep community, this room and this unique program have become something of a second home, “a community within the community,” the staff said—a place to study, to connect with one another, and to begin forging the life skills that will guide them toward success in university and beyond. “The Browning Learning Center is a full-service learning center that provides academic support for neurodiverse learners, as well as students with specific learning disabilities, mental health diagnoses, and various medical conditions that can impact learning,” Browning Center Director Christine Davis, now in her eighth year at Prep, explained. A certified Learning Disabilities Teacher-Consultant, she is the SSD Test Coordinator for both the College Board and ACT, a member of the Admissions Committee, and a member of the Principal’s Leadership Team.
“We have students who take AP courses and honors courses. We have students go on to really rigorous colleges,
and so we’re really proud of the diversity of the program and the various learning profiles that we’re able to service,” she said. Building on the foundation established in the Browning Center, the program’s alumni have continued their education at schools including Johns Hopkins, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NJIT, and Villanova, just to name a few. Overall, ninety-nine percent of Prep graduates enter a four-year college or university following their senior year. But in the years leading up to commencement, Davis and her staff in The Browning Center welcome students who have Individualized Education Plans (IEP or ISP), 504 plans, psycho-educational reports recommending intervention, or documentation from a neurologist indicating ADHD. “We are a unique program because there are not many private or religious-affiliated schools that support diverse learning profiles the way that we do,” Davis said. “Our students are full participants in the curriculum. We do not change, modify or alter the
curriculum. Instead, we provide appropriate support in the learning center environment.”
“This room is never empty, from 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM, and if we were here longer, they’d stay longer,” said Learning Specialist Dominick Della Fave, ’91, who returned to Prep this year to build upon a 25-year career in special education. “And I think it shows the level of comfort and the
level of desire to be here.” 14 WINTER 2023-24 n PREP MAGAZINE