Learning Resource Center Programs
Learning Resource Center of Polk County, 1628 Florida Ave S, Lakeland, FL 33803
About
Learning Resource Center Programs offer a range of options including 1-to-1 Tutoring, ACT Prep, SAT Prep, and Study Habits of Successful Students. The programs also include Camp READY!, MidMath Camp, PEP Magical Reading Camp, PEP Super Summer Science Camp, a Summer Coding Workshop, and Super Summer Success. Tutoring may take place at public locations such as the Learning Resource Center, libraries, schools with principal permission, local businesses, or churches, and tutoring does not take place at a student’s home.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Schedule: Office hours Monday–Thursday 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. and Friday 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
• Price: LRC can offer grade-level assessments, such as the BASIS, for a small fee, requires four weeks of tutoring to be paid in advance before tutoring begins, and bases all fees on gross annual household income using a sliding-fee scale.
The Learning Resource Center of Polk County, Inc. was founded by the Junior League of Greater Lakeland, Inc. in 1975 and was first known as the Learning Disabilities Center, with the name changing in 1977 as services expanded. Its mission is to help students maximize their learning potential by providing personalized educational programs, consultative services for parents, and programs to accommodate community needs. LRC offers countywide services to more than 3,500 students, ages 5 through adult, and uses activity-based lesson plans that incorporate multisensory strategies to address visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile learning styles. LRC does not require parents to sign a contractual agreement for a set number of instructional hours.
LRC has over 500 highly qualified educational professionals, including many currently certified teachers, retired teachers, substitute teachers, some paraprofessionals, and college students in their last year of an education major, as well as tutors with expertise in areas such as upper level math and business/accounting. The leadership team includes Pamela Craven, Ph.D., Executive Director; Cathie Wright, Director of Education and Program Manager; Beth Verplanck, Program Manager; Beverly Mansfield, Program Manager; Grace Vallier, Program Assistant; Lynne Roberts, Program Assistant; Sherry Rambali, Bookkeeper; Summer Petrac, Program Intern; and Emily Paul, Program Manager. The 2024–2025 Executive Committee consists of Jason Wyatt, President; Kevin Kelley, Vice President; Lydia Boyd, Secretary; Sara Oppenheimer, Treasurer; and Trey Harden, Past President, with a Board of Directors and Advisory Board also in place.
LRC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit United Way educational provider accredited by Cognia (AdvancED), and in 2023 it received Cognia’s School of Distinction Award. It is identified as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit United Way educational provider with community partners referenced.
Parents and caregivers have shared that Camp READY! prepared their children for kindergarten and that their children enjoyed returning to LRC summer camps, including during online sessions. Other families have reported positive experiences with Super Summer Success, 1-to-1 tutoring, and SAT Prep, including one parent who noted an increase in a student’s SAT score from 1270 to a super score of 1510 after the SAT Prep class. Multiple testimonials state that children enjoyed the programs and that families were pleased with the services provided.
Last updated February 12, 2026.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Schedule: Office hours Monday–Thursday 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. and Friday 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
• Price: LRC can offer grade-level assessments, such as the BASIS, for a small fee, requires four weeks of tutoring to be paid in advance before tutoring begins, and bases all fees on gross annual household income using a sliding-fee scale.
The Learning Resource Center of Polk County, Inc. was founded by the Junior League of Greater Lakeland, Inc. in 1975 and was first known as the Learning Disabilities Center, with the name changing in 1977 as services expanded. Its mission is to help students maximize their learning potential by providing personalized educational programs, consultative services for parents, and programs to accommodate community needs. LRC offers countywide services to more than 3,500 students, ages 5 through adult, and uses activity-based lesson plans that incorporate multisensory strategies to address visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile learning styles. LRC does not require parents to sign a contractual agreement for a set number of instructional hours.
LRC has over 500 highly qualified educational professionals, including many currently certified teachers, retired teachers, substitute teachers, some paraprofessionals, and college students in their last year of an education major, as well as tutors with expertise in areas such as upper level math and business/accounting. The leadership team includes Pamela Craven, Ph.D., Executive Director; Cathie Wright, Director of Education and Program Manager; Beth Verplanck, Program Manager; Beverly Mansfield, Program Manager; Grace Vallier, Program Assistant; Lynne Roberts, Program Assistant; Sherry Rambali, Bookkeeper; Summer Petrac, Program Intern; and Emily Paul, Program Manager. The 2024–2025 Executive Committee consists of Jason Wyatt, President; Kevin Kelley, Vice President; Lydia Boyd, Secretary; Sara Oppenheimer, Treasurer; and Trey Harden, Past President, with a Board of Directors and Advisory Board also in place.
LRC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit United Way educational provider accredited by Cognia (AdvancED), and in 2023 it received Cognia’s School of Distinction Award. It is identified as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit United Way educational provider with community partners referenced.
Parents and caregivers have shared that Camp READY! prepared their children for kindergarten and that their children enjoyed returning to LRC summer camps, including during online sessions. Other families have reported positive experiences with Super Summer Success, 1-to-1 tutoring, and SAT Prep, including one parent who noted an increase in a student’s SAT score from 1270 to a super score of 1510 after the SAT Prep class. Multiple testimonials state that children enjoyed the programs and that families were pleased with the services provided.
Last updated February 12, 2026.
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