A new tutoring center that incorporates science-based learning methods has opened in the Sixth Avenue area of Tacoma.
Method Labs, 3602 6th Ave., Suite 101B, welcomed its first students on Monday, and a grand opening is planned for Nov. 24.
Owner Breanne Willard, a biology teacher at Silas High School, has been an educator for over a decade. She said the idea to open her own tutoring center had been brewing for a while.
A few years ago, Silas adopted the Ninth Grade Success program, which helps freshmen with the transition into high school. Many school districts across Washington also have adopted the program.
Students are significantly more likely to graduate if they pass their classes in ninth grade, according to the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Willard leads an after-school program for ninth graders at Silas called Snacks and Study, but funding cuts have forced the group to meet less frequently over the years.
Willard said she would chat with her fellow teachers about how to help more students beyond the confines of the classroom.
“We were like, it’d be so fun to like, do science and, you know, do work with kids outside of school too,” Willard would say.
After that, everything “just kind of came together,” she said.
Method Labs, which has taken over the former Grit City Greens space, offers individualized instruction for each student. Students meet with the same tutor each session and can easily measure their progress through an online portal, Willard said.
In each room of the tutoring center, signs hang on the walls explaining different science-based learning methods.
“I’m very focused on the science of learning, and I mean down to little things, like the light bulbs that we use in here are not LED light bulbs. They are expensive full spectrum light bulbs that have infrared light,” Willard said.
Full spectrum light bulbs have been said to improve mood and sleep regulation, similar to how light therapy or sunshine lamps can help with seasonal affective disorder.
Willard also emphasized that Method Labs isn’t screen-based. Studies have shown that doing work by hand improves memory and comprehension.
The tutoring center offers programs for students in grades 4 through 12, including one-on-one and small group sessions. Next summer, Method Labs will offer outdoor science camps.
Memberships for group tutoring start at $160 a month for elementary school students and $180 for older students. Private tutoring memberships start at $340 a month.
There’s a study lab option on select afternoons, where kids can come and get work done with the help of nearby tutors for $10.
Willard said in the future she plans to create a scholarship program for the tutoring center. She also hopes to partner with local schools to offer on-site, after-school tutoring.
“As an educator, the thing I look forward to most is seeing those students where the light comes on, like that moment of realizing, ‘Oh, I get this,’ or maybe it’s the slow burn of watching someone’s attitude change about themselves, right?” Willard said. “It’s crazy how easy it can be to get to those moments when a student gets personalized instruction.”
Method Labs is open 3-7 p.m. Monday through Friday. The grand opening is on Nov. 24 at 4:30 p.m.
The News Tribune
Minnie Stephenson covers restaurant and business news in and around Tacoma for The News Tribune. She has previously worked for WBZ NewsRadio in Boston and the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism. Through the Howard Center, she worked on the Associated Press investigation “Lethal Restraint,” which was named a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2025. She grew up in Marshfield, Massachusetts and graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Maryland.
Source: www.thenewstribune.com
