Richard J. Meelia ’67
CENTER FOR INTEGRATED LEARNING
Supporting Students. Unlocking Potential. Building Confidence.
A Message from Dr. James Hickey, Head of School
At Austin Prep, we believe that every student is created with unique gifts and the capacity to grow in confidence, purpose, and skill. The Richard J. Meelia Center for Integrated Learning supports this belief by meeting students where they are and helping them understand how they learn. When students recognize their strengths and receive the right guidance, they discover that persistence matters more than perfection and that each of them has something meaningful to contribute.
The work of the Center is deeply connected to our Augustinian mission. Students learn to look inward and understand their learning profile. They experience care and encouragement as they take on challenges. They pursue truth with the knowledge that they are not alone on the journey. These habits shape not only how they learn, but also who they are becoming.
Our St. Ambrose Fellows walk with students in a spirit of encouragement and guidance. They help learners develop the skills and confidence that allow them to thrive in the classroom and in life. The outcomes are real. Students grow in organization, self-awareness, resilience, and independence. They become young people who approach challenges with optimism and who understand the value of effort.
Success at Austin Prep is not a single moment. It is a formation of the heart and the mind. The Center for Integrated Learning plays an important role in that formation, helping students develop the confidence to present, the resilience to persist, and the kindness to serve.
Sincerely,
James Hickey, Ph.D. P’22, ’23,
’24, ’27
Head of School
About the Center for Integrated Learning
The Richard J. Meelia Center for Integrated Learning is led by Jennifer Brogan, M.Ed., and supported by a full-time team of seasoned professionals who have devoted their careers and their training to supporting students who learn differently.
Each member of the team brings not only expertise, but also a deep sense of vocation: the belief that every child is created with unique gifts, worthy of understanding, encouragement, and thoughtful support. In this spirit, staff strive to meet students where they are and walk alongside them, helping them grow in confidence, independence, and joy in learning.
What the Center Does
• Support students one-on-one or in small groups with organization, planning, study, and language-based strategies.
• Help students understand their strengths, challenges, and learning profiles.
• Partner with teachers to ensure students receive consistent support in every classroom.
• Celebrate student growth and encourage confidence, resilience, and self-advocacy.
• Develop individualized accommodation plans.
Accommodations for Students with Documented Needs
For students with documented learning differences, faculty at the Center develop individualized Austin Prep Accommodation Plans detailing the reasonable accommodations to support the student’s meaningful access to the curriculum. Supports may include accommodations such as extended time, reduced distraction testing spaces, preferential seating, and access to reference materials. These accommodations are maintained from sixth grade through twelfth grade.
Partnership with Families
At Austin Prep, we believe that collaboration between families and our Integrated Learning team is key to every student’s success. We encourage parents to reach out early to discuss their child’s learning needs so that our team can provide the most effective support from the start. Early communication allows us to build a partnership that promotes a smooth, supportive, and empowering transition for every student. Accommodation plans can be an evolving document guided by ongoing conversations and informed by supportive documentation.
Workshops for families on a variety of topics empower adults and strengthen the home-school connection. This network of support ensures that students receive coordinated, consistent support throughout their Austin Journey.
St. Ambrose Fellows Serve as Mentors, Coaches, and Guides
The St. Ambrose Fellows are a specially trained cohort of Austin Prep faculty who work with the full-time staff of the Richard J. Meelia Center for Integrated Learning and serve as mentors, guides, and academic coaches for students. These teachers participate in intensive and ongoing training in executive functioning, learning strategies, and differentiated instruction. They work with students to build confidence, strengthen skills, and develop habits that lead to long-term success.
Who They Are?
St. Ambrose Fellows are faculty members selected for:
• Commitment to supporting diverse learners.
• Ability to build trust, encourage reflection, and model perseverance.
• Dedication to helping students develop independence and confidence.
They are caring adults that students can rely on—teachers who coach, guide, and champion their growth.
Why “St. Ambrose”?
The Fellows are named in honor of St. Ambrose of Milan. St. Ambrose was the mentor, teacher, and spiritual guide who helped shape St. Augustine’s intellectual and personal transformation. Ambrose welcomed Augustine, challenged him, encouraged him, and accompanied him on his journey toward Truth.
In that same spirit, our St. Ambrose Fellows accompany Austin Prep students with patience, compassion, and wisdom, ensuring every learner is supported, seen, and empowered.
Whether a student needs help connecting ideas, managing materials, preparing for assessments, or navigating the rigors of the curriculum, the faculty are committed, caring advocates who accompany them every step of the way.
Helping Students Thrive with 360 Degree Support
The Richard J. Meelia Center for Integrated Learning supports students throughout all seven years at Austin Prep. Whether students are beginning Middle School or entering the Upper School, the Center helps them understand how they learn, build confidence, and develop habits that lead to long-term success. Our work grows with students as their academic responsibilities increase, so every learner receives the right support at the right time.
Skill Building and Academic Support
The Center for Integrated Learning provides consistent guidance and practical, scaffolded strategies that help students succeed at every level. Students in grades 6 through 12 have access to instruction and coaching that strengthen essential skills such as organization, time management, study strategies, notetaking, and planning. For many students, this begins in sixth grade when they first learn how to manage materials and digital tools. For other students, this occurs in ninth grade when they encounter increased expectations and new levels of independence.
Campus Partnerships
The Center works closely with a variety of offices on campus and encourages students to utilize resources such as our:
• Health and Wellness Office
• Peer Tutoring Programs
• Faculty for Extra Help
• Office of Student Life
Advisory, Self-Awareness, and Growth Mindset
As part of the Austin Prep Student Life experience, Advisory plays a central role in helping students develop personal awareness and self-advocacy. Students learn how to reflect on their progress, set goals, and understand their learning profile. These habits follow students through their Austin Prep journey as they continue to build resilience, confidence, and independence.
Building the Skills That Support Learning
Students learn best when they develop strong habits, strategies, and tools to navigate their academic day while balancing non-academic commitments. With the right guidance and support to fully access academic content, students build confidence that carries across every class.
Personalized Support That Helps Build Strong, Independent Learners
The Richard J. Meelia Center for Integrated Learning offers a range of Extended Services for students who benefit from more personalized or comprehensive support. These tailored services help students strengthen foundational skills and build beyond the accommodations available in the classroom. Extended Services are available based on individual needs and goals.
Flexible Options That Support Every Learner
Families partner with the Center for Integrated Learning to determine which supports best match their child’s needs. Some students benefit from accommodations within the classroom. Others thrive with added instruction or coaching through Extended Services. All options help students meet their potential with confidence and purpose.
“The Center for Integrated Learning at Austin Prep is dedicated to creating programs that honor and value each student’s unique potential and support their needs with compassion and expertise. Our team’s purpose is to inspire every learner to discover their strengths, rise to challenges, take ownership of their growth, and be empowered to thrive in ways that enrich every part of their lives. In partnership with families, we create a path that not only supports student’s learning needs but also celebrates who they are becoming. It is a privilege to walk alongside them on that journey.”
– Jennifer Brogan, M.Ed., Director of Integrated Learning
• Phonemic awareness and decoding.
• Reading fluency and comprehension.
• Spelling patterns, morphology, and vocabulary development.
• Written expression and organization of ideas.
This instruction helps students build confidence as readers and writers and supports their ability to engage with grade-level content.
Smaller Classes with Targeted Instruction
For students who benefit from more explicit teaching of skills within core content areas and increased opportunities for guided practice, alternate sections of select courses, like English, History, and Math, offer a highly tailored learning experience. These courses provide:
• Smaller class sizes that allow for greater individual attention.
• Multimodal teaching that presents information in clear and accessible ways.
• Repetition and reinforcement of key concepts.
• Direct instruction in reading comprehension, note-taking, and study strategies.
“Our Center strives to provide high-quality, tailored support while empowering students to become independent, confident learners. We are deeply dedicated to helping students achieve their full potential and develop a growth mindset. The notion of success begins with believing in oneself and in the ability to improve skills and abilities through commitment, effort, and viewing missteps as learning opportunities. Embracing challenges and learning resilience and persistence are important for growth and success, and these are values I am passionate about instilling in the students I support.”
– Laurie Ford P’26, M.Ed., Teaching & Learning Specialist
Enhancing Executive Functioning for Confident Learning
Executive functioning skills do not develop at the same pace for every learner. The Richard J. Meelia Center for Integrated Learning offers both small group instruction and one-on-one coaching as part of our extended services. These additional services help students understand how to approach academic tasks with clarity and purpose and are available to students in grades 6 through 12. As students progress through school and the expectations increase, students benefit from structured guidance to help them manage materials, plan ahead, stay organized, and complete work with confidence.
Skill Areas Supported
Executive functioning support targets essential habits and behaviors that help students succeed in every class. Key areas of focus include:
• Working memory – holding information in mind while completing a task, following multi-step directions, and connecting new learning to what is already known.
• Response inhibition – pausing before acting, thinking through choices, and avoiding impulsive decisions.
• Emotional control – managing frustration, stress, or disappointment so students can stay focused and productive.
• Sustained attention – maintaining focus during classwork, homework, and long-term assignments, even when distractions are present.
• Organization – keeping materials, assignments, and digital files in order and developing systems that support daily routines.
• Perseverance – staying with a task even when it becomes challenging, and building stamina to complete difficult or lengthy work.
• Time management – balancing academics, activities, and personal responsibilities while meeting deadlines.
• Planning and prioritization – mapping out steps, identifying what to work on first, and creating strategies to approach complex tasks.
• Task initiation – beginning work efficiently, overcoming procrastination, and taking action without repeated prompts.
• Flexibility – adapting to changes in schedules, expectations, or instructions and learning how to revise strategies when something isn’t working.
• Metacognition – reflecting on one’s own learning, understanding strengths and challenges, and adjusting approaches to improve results.
These skill areas reinforce the routines and strategies students need to manage increasing academic expectations across grades 6 through 12.
How Families Can Tell if Support May Be Helpful
Some students benefit from additional guidance when academic expectations grow more complex. Your child may benefit from executive functioning support if they often:
• Struggle to begin assignments.
• Misplace materials or lose track of requirements.
• Feel overwhelmed by multi-step tasks.
• Have difficulty balancing schoolwork with commitments like sports or extracurricular activities.
• Experience challenges staying organized or meeting deadlines.
These are not signs of a lack of ability. They are skills that can be strengthened with the right coaching.
Small Group Support
Executive functioning in small group sessions provides consistent practice with skills that help students navigate day-to-day academic expectations. Sessions are practical, supportive, and connected to real assignments and upcoming responsibilities. In addition to a progress update, students work with their St. Ambrose Fellows to learn how to:
• Use planners and digital tools to keep track of assignments.
• Organize materials for each class and maintain systems that work for them.
• Break long-term projects into manageable steps.
• Plan ahead for tests and manage study schedules.
• Maintain routines for homework completion.
• Monitor progress and adjust strategies when needed.
These groups help students strengthen independence and learn strategies they can use in every subject.
One-on-One Coaching
One-on-one academic and executive functioning coaching is tailored to each individual student, aligning closely with their unique learning profile, personality, and individualized goals. For example, this level of guided support may provide:
• Personalized study and review strategies.
• Customized organization systems that match student preferences.
• Support with planning, prioritizing, and managing time.
• Guidance during busy periods such as major assessments or extracurricular seasons.
• Test preparation support that includes content review and strategy practice.
• Growth of self-advocacy skills through reflection and communication with teachers.
Regular coaching sessions create a safe and encouraging space where students can talk through challenges, learn new approaches, and build confidence in their ability to manage their academic responsibilities. The ultimate goal of the coaching partnership is to empower students to develop a deeper understanding of how they learn and gain the independence needed for long-term success.
How Families Access Extended Services
Access begins with a conversation. Families meet with the Director of the Center for Integrated Learning to review their child’s learning profile and discuss goals, strengths, and challenges. Medical documentation and evaluations from previous schools help to guide the conversation. Together, the family and the Center identify which supports will be most helpful. Services are adjusted as students grow from grade 6 through grade 12.
Access and Learning Center Services
Services provided by the Center for Integrated Learning are offered in addition to tuition, allowing families to tailor the level of support their child(ren) receives. These programs include:
• Dyslexia Support
• Alternate Courses, such as English and History
• Executive Function Small Groups
• One-on-One Academic & Executive Function Coaching
Programs vary in cost.
“The support we have received at Austin Prep’s Center for Integrated Learning has been exceptional not only this year, but since the first day we joined the Austin Prep family. The program and the people behind it have been incredibly communicative, understanding and encouraging which really has helped our son build a strong foundation as he progresses at Austin Prep. The executive functioning services have been personalized and strategically planned to help improve his organization and overall focus that carry into every class he has. We are so grateful this program has been made available to us and truly have seen great improvements along the way.”
– Siobhan S. (Current Parent)
Achieving Meaningful Outcomes for Students
Rooted in the belief that students who learn differently possess unique strengths and immense potential, the Center for Integrated Learning is dedicated to supporting their academic and personal growth.
As students interact with the Center, we aim to support their development of:
• A deeper understanding of personal strengths, talents, and skills.
• Greater independence and readiness for new challenges.
• Increased resilience when facing difficult work.
• Improved time management and organizational skills.
• Better planning, prioritization, and follow-through.
• Stronger confidence in their ability to learn and succeed.
Students continue to grow into thoughtful learners who take ownership of their responsibilities and approach challenges with optimism. These habits help prepare them for success in college and in life.
“The support our son has received from the Center for Integrated Learning at Austin Prep has been truly transformational. Thanks to the dedication of the Center’s staff and the St. Ambrose Fellows, he has developed genuine academic confidence and a passion for learning. Being able to entrust our son to a Catholic school that nurtures his faith, meets his academic needs, and is filled with kind and committed educators has been an extraordinary blessing for our family.”
– Lindsay F. (Current Parent)
The Center for Integrated Learning is growing and adapting every year. Take the next step in your child’s journey!
Schedule a Meeting with a member of our Integrated Learning Team
To inspire hearts to unite, minds to inquire, and hands to serve. integrated.learning@austinprep.org austinprep.org/academics/center-for-integrated-learning