By Kelly Miller
Nothing is more disheartening to a parent than watching their child struggle with homework. The way kids are taught in today’s classrooms is radically different than in previous generations. For example, today, students often aren’t even allowed to bring home their textbooks.
So, what are kids supposed to do with difficult assignments and parents who don’t have the answers? Look to the Infinite Edge Learning Center in the Tampa Palms Professional Center off Commerce Park Blvd. for help.
This privately-owned tutoring center specializes in customized one-on-one lessons in all subjects for students in grades K-12 and even for freshmen in college. Owner and director Sobi Jabbari explains that what separates Infinite Edge Learning Center from the local franchised tutoring centers is that, “We don’t prescribe to a one-size-fits-all curriculum. Here, we design a program that fits each individual student’s needs. We continually assess each child and help them improve in order to reach a higher level.”
In other words, the curriculum for your student will be custom-created to fill his or her needs. Jabbari received a B.S. (Bachelor of Science) degree in Mathematics & Engineering Physics and a M.S. (Master of Science) degree in Experimental Physics. Before he opened Infinite Edge Learning Center seven years ago, Jabbari had thirty years of teaching experience at the high school and university levels. He has lived in Tampa Palms for twenty years. His son, Koroh, is an eleventh grader at Freedom High in Tampa Palms and his daughter, Farnush, is a seventh grader at Liberty Middle School (also in Tampa Palms). Infinite Edge Learning Center is a family affair, as Jabbari’s wife, Ozra, who also is a former teacher, runs the day-to-day operations as Infinite Edge’s office manager.
The center has so many success stories that we couldn’t list them all here, but Ozra provided a few examples — like the Hillsborough County student who failed his fourth grade Reading and Writing FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test) exams before coming to Infinite Edge Learning Center. But, with weekly tutoring from Infinite Edge, he earned perfect scores on both FCAT tests in the fifth grade.
Then, there was the boy who arrived at the center not knowing any English. “He started one-on-one tutoring sessions beginning in kindergarten and has been coming to the center for two years,” Ozra explains. “Today, he is an honors student in second grade who has tested at a third grade level.”
In addition to Sobi, there are fourteen other teachers at the center. Ozra says most of the teachers are current high school teachers and all of them approach each student with the following objectives:
• Determine the student’s academic strengths and challenges via assessment.
• Establish a grade equivalency and standardized score to pinpoint areas requiring improvement or intervention.
• Design an individualized, student-based learning intervention strategy or curriculum of instruction.
• Continuously assess and reassess progress to maximize achievement as well as retention and comprehension of academic knowledge.
It’s The Personal Touch . . .
. . . that sets Infinite Edge Learning Center apart. The Jabbaris and their staff believe each child has the ability to excel beyond his or her current educational level of performance, and they’re willing to do everything they can to make that happen. This was even more evident when I witnessed Ozra returning to the center after having picked up a student whose mother had car problems while driving to their tutoring session.
Another student named Anoud says, “Infinite Edge Learning Center is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me. I honestly don’t know how I’d get straight As in school if it wasn’t for Mr. Jabbari and Ozra. Coming here helped me keep up with my work and also helped me get ahead in my classes.”
With Hillsborough County changing over to the Common Core Standards curriculum (a national initiative for grades K-12 seeking to establish consistent educational standards in English, language arts and mathematics in every state to ensure that students are college- and career-ready by the end of high school) this fall, children who normally excel in school might find themselves falling short. If parents see their child’s (or children’s) grades suffer, they should contact Infinite Edge Learning Center, where uniquely customized programs can help students in any one of these situations:
• If they need extra academic enrichment beyond their school’s academic curriculum.
• If they moved to a more competitive school or school district and want to get ahead.
• If they need academic intervention (for students who’ve had trouble with a class or classes) and would benefit from one-on-one attention.
• If they need home-schooled classroom support.
• If they need distance learning support online.
• For parents who want their children to be assessed for college and/or if they need college preparation.
Students can get assistance in a variety of subjects at Infinite Edge, including mathematics, language development and enrichment, general science, chemistry, reading, foreign languages, college-level courses, FCAT, SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test), ACT (American College Testing), and GRE (Graduate Record Examination)/GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test). The center also offers help with AP Calculus AB and BC, AP Chemistry and AP Physics.
Infinite Edge Learning Center gets results. Among the center’s success stories are students who scored a 5 in AP Calculus BC in only the ninth grade. Many Infinite Edge students complete Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and Geometry, all before entering high school.
David Springer of Temple Terrace says it’s worth the drive to bring his 17-year-old daughter Catherine to Infinite Edge. “My wife investigated several tutoring centers and all of the people she talked to who brought their kids here were extremely happy. Since coming, Catherine’s grades have significantly improved and she’s now more confident in math. She also increased her practice SAT scores by taking the center’s prep class.”
The owners of Infinite Edge Learning Center also are proud to be the “Home of the Perfect SAT and Subject SAT Scores.” Brothers José and Miguel Mungruza attended math tutoring and SAT prep courses with Sobi. Both boys received perfect 800 scores in math, which helped them both earn full scholarships for both their Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. Sobi says, “The best reward I can receive is to see the students I’ve helped go on to university and come back at Christmas time telling me how well they’re doing.”
The center advises parents to enroll their children in the SAT preparation course beginning in ninth grade and no later than tenth grade. Ozra says that once students become high school juniors, many of them are so busy with AP classes and extracurricular activities that they can become overloaded with the addition of having studying for the SAT exam — so, it’s best to start early with once-a-week tutoring sessions. The center also offers SAT group lessons for $20/hour with no more than five students per class.
Infinite Edge Learning Center (17419 Bridge Hill Ct.) can be reached by calling 971-6500 or by email at infiniteedgelearningcenter@gmail.com. More info also is available online at InfiniteEdgeLearningCenter.com. The hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 2 p.m. – 9 p.m.; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday; and special hours by appointment only.
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