IN Upper St. Clair Summer 2019 | Page 37

SPONSORED CONTENT BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT SPONSORED CONTENT Where Above Average is Standard T here are many reasons why a student falls behind in school, from not clicking with their teacher to missing out on key concepts in lower grades. Those stumbling blocks are something that today’s student can’t afford as they prepare for their academic life beyond high school. Fortunately, Sylvan Learning is there to help students regain their academic footing and send them to the head of the class with their proven track record of academic tutoring, coaching and test preparation. In addition to regaining their academic footing, students are also looking to Sylvan to help get them ahead. From improving SAT scores in the College Prep Program to sharpening math skills in the Math Edge program, students are seeing their potential for higher achievement actualized thanks to Sylvan. Brought to the Pittsburgh region by the father-son team of Jack and Jeff Shilling, the duo’s lifelong commitment to education and prior work in the STEM fields made Sylvan the obvious choice in investing in an academic performance franchise. Their Upper St. Clair location is the first of five total planned for the region and has already changed the academic landscape in the South Hills. Lora Hyde, Center Director, and Rae Ann Cooper, Director of Education, said students who come to Sylvan are assessed on an individual basis and given tailored recommendations that best fit their academic needs not put into a cookie-cutter program. What’s more, Sylvan’s staff go above and beyond to treat you and your child like family. They not only care about your child’s academic success, but your family’s success in general, and will even serve as advocates for your child in their classroom setting. “We’re very big on keeping in contact with schools in terms of actual classrooms and teachers,” Cooper said. “I’m in constant contact with our students’ school teachers to see how we can further personalize and implement progress within the classroom.” “We’ll attend parent-teacher conferences with parents if they want us to just so we’re all on the same page working together for the student,” Hyde said. “We want to learn about parents, what their interests are, because we just can’t be more school. We have to be fun and build that bond and friendship with each family we serve.” Because of their bonds with families and the trust that builds over time, Sylvan is able to fill in more gaps in a student’s learning than other traditional tutoring solutions. “Progress Assessment scores administered at our location, after some time spent in their programs, more than double the top 25 percent of Sylvan’s nationwide average and almost triple the industry standard,” Hyde said. Now is a good time for parents to think about how they will support their child’s learning over the summer months. While a break from school is great for recharging students’ batteries, if they aren’t using the skills they acquired in the classroom, they could find themselves lagging once the school bell rings again. There are many enrichment activities available when school is out of session and Sylvan Learning offers engaging programs that keep the interest and fun in learning alive through the summer. Sylvan Learning yields results that can be help to catch up in subjects that students struggled with to make sure they are ready for the next school year or, if your child is just looking for areas to challenge them more intellectually, Sylvan’s STEM and academic classes or summer camps fit the bill. “The idea of being able to help our kids become the next generation of innovators and business owners out there is very exciting to me,” Jack Shilling said. “Ultimately,” added Jeff, “we want to help meet that demand and help be a part of the future of our country’s kids’ education.” For more information on Sylvan Learning, go to their website at locations. sylvanlearning.com/us/upperstclair-pa or call them directly at 412.283.9047. They are located at 100 Siena Drive, Suite 245, 15241. UPPER ST. CLAIR ❘ SUMMER 2019 35