In the halls of Lake Charles-Boston Academy of Learning, teachers educate hundreds of high school students from across the parish digitally. From human geography to transitional algebra to comparative anatomy, Calcasieu students have access to specialized courses that aren’t available elsewhere.

The Virtual Instruction Program has been housed at LCBA for three years. Students log in from a lab at their home campus to join peers and a certified teacher in a virtual classroom. Students are taught unique and advanced curricula that equips them with knowledge they otherwise would not have access to. Many of these classes also arm high school students with college credits through STEM, dual enrollment and advanced placement offerings.

As the LCBA’s Partner in Education, the Kiwanis Club of Lake Charles supports VIP teachers throughout the year. For Teacher Appreciation Week, the club buys the teachers lunch. When LCBA hosts field trips for students, they provide door prizes and meals to make the trip special. At the start of each year, they host a kick-off breakfast for the teachers “to get them back into the swing of things for the school year,” said VIP Coordinator Doug Devillier.

“We’ve been very fortunate in having them help us with those things.”

Coats for Kids Co-Chair Jim Meyer said it’s a great, unique partnership that creates a “broader collaboration” for special projects, like the Coats for Kids coat drive.

To repay the Kiwanis Club of Lake Charles for all that they do, the VIP program participated in the club’s annual Coats for Kids coat drive last year. Collection boxes were set up in each of the VIP labs across the district’s high schools. The students and teachers were able to collect about 100 coats, Devillier said.

The Kiwanis Club of Lake Charles has hosted the drive for 35 years, collecting and distributing over 1,000 coats annually. Meyer said the club realized last year that several of the schools participating in the VIP program are outside of their usual area of collection. By asking VIP to participate, they were able to boost the amount of coats they collected, together.

“It seemed like a natural process to include those areas,” he said. “It was a success. When I picked up the coats to take them to the dry cleaners, the teachers were just so happy.”

Devillier said they are looking forward to collecting coats again this year. Their goal? Double it.

“They do so much for us,” he explained. “As educators, you are kind of on the receiving end of great things the community does for us, but this was an opportunity for us to do something and give back to them.”

With VIP participation numbers rising, and the amount of participating high schools increasing from eight to 11, he thinks this is an achievable goal.

The CPSB Partners in Education program aims to tether schools with local businesses, organizations and individuals that can support public education. Through forming these partnerships, schools have greater access to necessary resources and potential employers have a direct link to Southwest Louisiana’s future workforce.

A strong connection to the community is crucial for VIP faculty, staff and students, Devillier said.

“As educators and school systems, we are part of that community. We play a vital role in that, and when you look at the business and industry part of that, whenever you can bring sort of those two components together. … Whenever you can do any sort of partnership in that way, it’s a win-win for both groups.”

The Kiwanis Club of Lake Charles is also a Partner in Education for Henry Heights Elementary. Meyer said these partnerships are a beneficial addition to Calcasieu students’ education.

“It’s important for the students’ development to see that there’s support for them as individuals to do the best they can; And of course that’s what we are all about as Kiwanians, to support our children in any way we can.”

The partnership with LCBA also offers a unique opportunity to help the teachers, too, he said.

“They’re really the key,” he explained. “We’re actually supporting the students through the teachers quite often. When you show them that there is someone else out there who cares and is willing to support them anyway we can.”

The Kiwanis Club of Lake Charles is a role model for the VIP students, and the coat drive allows them to be active participants in charitable giving, Devillier said.

“Our students are going to be future business owners and they’re going to be working in the community, so anytime they have an opportunity to participate in something that gives back to the community, I think that’s always a good thing.”

With a program that is digitally based, tangible connections are especially important. Participating in the Coats for Kids drive is a chance for “students and teachers to come together to make a connection beyond the screen,” he said.

“We’re in a unique position because we’re not face-to-face, but anytime we can get together where we bring our students and our teachers together is a moment to celebrate,” he said. “Anytime we are able to do that it sort of reinforces that sense of community just because of the nature of the program. When we can partner with Kiwanis in order to give back to the larger community, that’s more of a bonus for us.”

The Kiwanis Club of Lake Charles will host the “Coats for Kids Spooktacular” from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Crying Eagle Brewing’s University location, 1165 E. McNeese St. on Oct. 25. Guests who donate one coat of any size get free admission, a glass, a drink token and a raffle ticket.