About Us

 

DEB KREBS NEEDED TO FIND A SOLUTION FOR HER SON

She chose the Barton Spelling and Reading Program because it was easy to learn how to tutor and was proven effective. She wanted to give her son the tools he needed to succeed at St. Ambrose Academy, a Catholic School in Madison. After seeing success with her son's progress, she wanted to share this great program with others!
 

The Pilot

Through the combined efforts of The Apostolate for Persons with Disabilities (financial support), the Office of Catholic Schools, and St. Ambrose Academy's administrative support (6th through 12th grade Catholic School in Madison) Deb was able to launch the St. Ambrose Academy Reading Institute Pilot program. The goal was to make screening and tutoring available for dyslexic students at three pilot schools and understand the impact it could have.

• They began screening students and found that there was a great need, about 20% of students (which matches the national average) match the profile of dyslexia and showed great improvement once they started one-on-one Orton-Gillingham based tutoring.
• We trained 14 tutors in the beginning levels of an Orton-Gillingham based, multisensory program so they could begin one-on-one tutoring. by the end of year 4 over 30 students were receiving tutoring.
• We helped parents understand why their child struggled with reading, writing, and spelling and that if they were taught differently they would be able to learn to read much more easily. We taught parents new ways to help with homework, successfully ending nightly homework wars. Parents became better equipped to help their child focus on their strengths and learn how to advocate for themselves. Many parents began to understand why they, themselves struggled in school and why some things are still difficult for them as adults.
• We were also able to help teachers understand why these students struggle and helped them to modify things in the classroom to help focus on these students' strengths instead of their weaknesses.
• The impact was significant! Students, who otherwise, would have been recommended to transfer to the public school, were now able to stay enrolled in their Catholic school. 

 

Not enough resources to serve all the students

Schools have more students that need reading intervention than what they can pay for. The cost of intervention can be over twice as much as the tuition making it unaffordable for families. Learning Atrium will seek to secure funding through generous benefactors and individuals in our community seeking to support educational programs that enhance learning for all learning abilities. It is our goal to raise 50% of the total cost of these services so the financial burden for schools and families is significantly reduced.
 

Learning Atrium was Founded

In the Fall of 2019, Debra incorporated Learning Atrium, Inc. and began forming a Board of Directors. They received their 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in September of 2020. Efforts for expanding awareness through social media for these much-needed services for Catholic Schools is underway. Board members are focused on fundraising so services can be expanded for students in our existing partner schools as well as adding additional schools in the 2021/22 school year. 
 

Photo on home page

Kelly O'Brian - Apostolate for Persons with Disabilities, Debra Krebs - founder of Learning Atrium Inc., Michael Lancaster - Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Madison Diocese, Grant Emmel - St. Ambrose Academy Board Member.

Please contact admin@learningatrium.org to learn how you can help or make a donation here.