About Us

Key Academy Prep was founded on the belief that every student has the ability to learn.

What We Offer

Tennager boy study at home. Online education and distance learning for children. School boy doing his physics homework using gadgets. Lectures and lessons on the internet for high school students

TUTORING

Key Academy Prep offers one-on-one tutoring in Math, Reading, Writing, homework help, and test preparation. We provide assistance with transition planning, and functional behavior analysis and training.

TEST PREPARATION

ESL/TOEFL/Cambridge IELTS Instruction
State Test Preparation
ISEE/ SSAT/ HSPT Preparation
ACT/ SAT Preparation

OUR INSTRUCTORS

All Key Academy Prep instructors apply proven methods to engage the student, focus their attention, and achieve optimum results.

COLLEGE PREP

We believe that the more you know about what to expect when you get to college, the more likely you will be to succeed. We provide thorough guidance for each step of the way, including:
ACT/ SAT Preparation
College Planning Checklists
College Financial Planning
ESL/TOEFL/TEFL Instruction
Accommodation Assistance

Since we opened our doors two decades ago, our staff has helped hundreds of students improve their study habits, comprehension, and test-taking skills. As a result, these students have earned better test scores and grades, and grown in self-esteem and confidence. We love celebrating those victories with our students.

Our team of dedicated professionals is available to serve our clients virtually worldwide, and face-to-face in Florida, California, Washington, Connecticut, Missouri, Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania.

We have remained current with the recent changes in the college admission process, disability rights, and high-stakes standardized tests such as the ACT/SAT, TOEFL, HSPT, and SSAT.  Our proactive team has taken the time to renew certifications, and obtain new certifications for virtual administration of educational testing, best practices for socio-emotional health, and academic and behavioral supports to meet the needs of our students.

We enjoy instruction with our seasonal clients who join us from Europe and South America, in addition to working with our local students.  Of course, we value the ability to work virtually, adapting and upgrading our online presence to serve the needs of students and families throughout the world who are navigating their way through revised expectations and new instructional and delivery models. 

Thank you for taking the time to read about us. We are honored to serve the educational needs of our students and families worldwide.  We look forward to a bright future, and we are grateful to continue serving our clients based on the philosophy of Kindness, Accountability, and Progress (KAP) at Key Academy Prep.

Leadership

Carolyne St. Clair, Ed.D.

Founder & Clinical Director

Dr. Carolyne St. Clair, Founder and Pediatric Behaviorist, began Key Academy Prep upon moving to South Florida twenty years ago. A native Californian, she completed her undergraduate and graduate work at California State University, Fullerton, where she also taught Speech and English. Dr. St. Clair also provided admissions and college transfer guidance to international, community college, and high school students as part of University Outreach at California State University, Fullerton.

Dr. St. Clair began working with students in grades K-12 as an ESL instructor and Special Educator after relocating to Miami, Florida. Deriving immense satisfaction from helping students with a variety of learning differences reach their full potential, Dr. St. Clair was prompted to return to school for a Master’s degree in Education from Goddard College, and then onto a doctoral program in Special Education at Northcentral University, where she earned her Ed.D. in Education. Areas of research include high-incidence disabilities, language acquisition, disability law, and emotional and behavioral disorders.

Dr. St. Clair holds certificates in TEFL and TOEFL instruction from Oxford Seminars in New York. She facilitates ADHD coaching, writes and supervises treatment plans for reading disorders, and serves as an advocate for disability rights by preparing and implementing individualized learning plans, including IEP’s and 504 plans. Dr. St. Clair utilizes functional behavioral analysis and creates transition plans for students with developmental disabilities such as ASD, Down syndrome, intellectual disabilities, congenital diseases, and chronic illness.

To promote best practices in education based on the current research and disability law, Dr. St. Clair acts as a mentor to faculty members and administrators at schools nationwide by providing in-the-moment coaching and professional development. She presents evidence-based training on differentiated instruction for inclusive classrooms, neuroscience-based reading interventions, early identification of developmental and learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders, and the effective use of manipulatives in the classroom. Dr. St. Clair engages in outreach efforts by providing public information sessions within the community, in addition to virtual presentations that can be viewed worldwide.

Although Carolyne absolutely loves her work, she also enjoys daily beach walks, swimming, tennis, and reading realistic fiction. She has a long history of partaking in world travel to marvel at art, architecture, and cuisine. When remaining Stateside, Carolyne is a committed Red Sox fan, feeling quite at home seated along the first base line at Fenway Park.

Gabriel Suarez

Executive Director

A native of Miami, Florida, Mr. Gabriel Suarez earned his B.A. from Middlebury College, where he studied History, Russian, and Political Science. Mr. Suarez has taught Advanced Placement (AP) History for more than ten years.  He has also provided academic support for International Baccalaureate (IB) students, in addition to tutoring upper-level math, English, writing, humanities, and world languages for over six years.  

An expert in college planning and test preparation, Mr. Suarez has developed a loyal following of students based on an ongoing track record of acceptance to top preparatory schools and first-choice colleges and universities. As such, Mr. Suarez often assists siblings and other referrals with the college application and test preparation process. 

In addition to teaching and speaking English, Mr. Suarez is fluent in Spanish, French, and Russian. Aside from mentoring students to achieve their academic goals and placement into their top-choice schools, Gabriel enjoys reading and traveling, especially road trips.

Jose Pavon, B.A., B.S.

Master Tutor and Chemistry Specialist

Born and raised in Miami, Mr. Jose Pavon received his B.S. in biology from the University of Florida, as well as a B.A. in chemistry from Florida International University, with a concentration in secondary education, where he also served as a teaching assistant for analytical chemistry. Currently, Mr. Pavon is a secondary science teacher in Miami, Florida. During his off time, Jose enjoys listening to copious amounts of music.

Amanda Yu, B.S., M.S. Candidate

Master Tutor in Mathematics, and SAT/ACT/HSPT/SSAT Preparation Specialist

Originally from Greenwich, Connecticut, Ms. Amanda Yu received her B.S. from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri in Applied Mathematics and Psychological & Brain Sciences, with a concentration in Child Cognition. She is currently pursuing an M.S. in Business Analytics from Washington University, and conducting research on Implicit Racial Bias Development and Intervention in Children and Adults. Ms. Yu has served as an advanced math tutor for seven years, including Calculus I, II, III, Matrix Algebra, and Calculus of Multiple Variables. When Amanda is not solving complex equations, she enjoys soccer, basketball, and volleyball.

Andrea Burnor, B.A.

TOEFL, English, and Test Preparation Specialist

Born in Brazil, Ms. Andrea Burnor received her B.A. in English and Portuguese Education from University Center of Jaragua do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil. She holds advanced ESOL certifications from the University of Cambridge, New York. Ms. Burnor has served as an ESL, TOEFL, and test preparation coordinator and instructor for over ten years. Her extensive background includes teaching English to international students at Westchester Community College located in New York. In addition, Ms. Burnor is trilingual as she is fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Andrea’s interests include yoga and being surrounded by nature while riding a bike or hiking. 

Charles Groppe, B.A., M.P.S. Candidate
Math and Science Tutor & Test Preparation Specialist

A native of McLean, Virginia, Mr. Charles Groppe received his B.A. in Biology from Swarthmore College. He has conducted marine and freshwater ecology research at James Cook University and Swarthmore College, and he is currently conducting marine ecology research at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami.  In addition, Charles served as a Teaching Assistant in Marine Biology at Swarthmore College. Having played baseball at Swarthmore, Charles is a committed supporter of the Washington Nationals. Charles also enjoys computer coding when he is not at sea. 

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For over two decades, our staff has helped hundreds of students improve their study habits, comprehension, and test-taking skills. Our team is ready to help you!