After leaving the school system, Julie A. Barbee Svenson founded the after-school "I Think I Can Tutoring Academy" for students with academic difficulties as well as those seeking accelerated studies. Previously, she taught fourth grade at Locust Elementary School in Locust where she described her classroom as "a small community where students are made responsible classroom citizens." Her students earned "money" in "checkbooks" by achieving good grades, academic improvement and good attendance. End-of-grade test scores indicated that 98 percent of her students scored at or above grade level. She created a program called The PAP (Parents as Partners) Club, through which parents became involved in their children's education at events such as Math Family Night, Super Science Sleep Over, and a Mother's Day Tea. Mrs. Svenson was a mentor to other teachers and trained colleagues in integrating technology through TILT (Technology Integration Leadership Training). A National Board Certified teacher, Mrs. Svenson was her school's grade-level chairperson, staff development coordinator, and chair of the communication committee. Â After leaving the classroom, Julie privately tutored for several years and then returned to her passion and became a Title 1 Tutor at Locust Elementary for grades 3-5.
1989 Wingate University, B.S.
