The Horton Center for Learning is in the Memorial Schoolhouse

Horton Center for Learning

The Horton Center for Learning is a student-centered campus space dedicated to academic growth, skill-building and collaborative learning.

Through a variety of group and individual programs, the Horton Center supports the development of students' own unique and independent approaches to learning at St. George’s and beyond. We do this by:

  • Identifying individual student learning preferences and needs;
  • Including all types of students;
  • Developing strategies, processes, understanding of campus resources, and self-sufficiency;
  • Enhancing executive functions, metacognition, cognitive flexibility, and self-assessment; and
  • Supporting the “whole” student, the needs of individuals as well as the student community at large and the growth of all, through an environment that addresses and accelerates present and future success.

Instructional Services

Today's Instructional Services Department is built on the groundbreaking work of Beth Horton in the mid-1960s, while simultaneously being routed in research about how the teenage brain learns. The department's goal is to equip students with the skills necessary to engage in self-sufficient learning, develop strong study habits and routines, and take full advantage of learning on campus.

ACES! is a four-week course designed to help new students adjust to community and academic life on campus. Taught by the Horton Center’s Academic Coaches, ACES! introduces new students to expectations unique to the academic experience at St. George’s, while also focusing on the importance and creation of strong study habits and routines.

At St. George’s, students have access to Academic Coaching through the Horton Center’s Instructional Services program. The Instructional Services Department consists of two full-time academic coaches who work with third through sixth form students taking courses from introductory to advanced levels..

The academic culture at St. George’s encourages students to take advantage of campus resources that provide extra help in all subject areas. Campus resources fall into two broad categories, individualized extra help through the Peer Tutoring programs and more informal support offered through Campus “Labs.” Both of these supports are largely student-run, yet teachers and the Horton Center staff work together to train and support tutors and also direct students to these programs.

St. George’s offers students several options to support writing across academic disciplines, including the faculty-staffed Writing Center and the student-led Writing Lab, in addition to a summer writing program.

Joe Lang

Joe Lang

Director of the Horton Center for Learning, Head Football Coach, Head Boys'Tennis Coach