PARTNERS IN EDUCATION: Westlake Chemical and Baggett McCall LLC

Partners in Education are vital to the health of our local school system. These businesses volunteer time, money and employees to assist teachers and students in ways that federal or state employees and funding aren’t able to. Research shows that when there are strong partnerships between schools and the community, everyone benefits, and student attendance and test scores improve. Curious about the Calcasieu Parish School Board’s Partners in Education program?

Westlake Corporation

Partner in Education with Eleven Schools in Calcasieu parish

by Kerri Cooke

Westlake Corporation is a proud member of the Calcasieu Parish School Board’s Partners in Education (PIE) program. Thrive spoke with Joe Andrepont, principal-community & government affairs, at Westlake Corporation to gain insight into how the plant and its workers are involved with this vital program in partnership with the local school system.

Westlake Corporation works with 11 different schools in the parish on a wide range of issues and activities. Facilitated by volunteers, the company funds the purchase of supplies and equipment for projects, supports local robotics teams at schools such as Vinton Elementary and Maplewood Middle, and assists baseball teams and the band at Sam Houston High. This is just a small taste of the specialized activities Westlake’s employees are involved in within their roster of supported schools.

Volunteers also provide meals during Teacher Appreciation Week, bring snacks during testing days and get involved in end of the year fun days. Occasionally, students visit Westlake sites to tour and learn about job opportunities. But Westlake focuses first on the specific needs of each school. A recent project for volunteers was the Skills for Life Camp in partnership with the Louisiana Trooper Foundation which teaches children firefighting, team building, first aid, woodworking, and bike and boating safety.

Andrepont believes “there’s nothing more important than getting an education” and says it’s important to educate students early on about the knowledge and skills they need if desiring to go into a specific profession. He also emphasizes that Westlake and its employees believe in the importance of attaining an education and that is actively portrayed through the number of volunteers taking part in the Partners in Education program, which goes above and beyond employees’ job descriptions.

“When our children graduate in the parishes and in the state, we want the talent to stay in the state. A lot of our best and brightest are moving away for better opportunities. We want to do anything we can to support education,” Andrepont says.

Volunteers educate children on what products Westlake makes, the job opportunities available there, what academic requirements are needed to achieve certain positions and the best way to ace an interview. A common misconception is that industry employs only engineers and STEM workers. Plants also need skilled craftsman, such as electricians, welders and pipefitters, Andrepont points out.

Andrepont encourages all businesses who might be interested to become Partners in Education. “Get involved,” he encourages. “There’s a need. Often the state has mandates as to how money can be spent. Schools are limited. It’s a win-win for businesses to be involved. It’s an investment, and graduates are the product.”

Andrepont is not content to rest on past laurels and wants to continue to drive innovation in how Partners in Education can help local schools and the community. He “would like to see a joint effort between business, industry and the school board to create two tutorial centers on the east and west sides of the parish” to help children who might be lagging behind their peers in studies. At the end of the day, Andrepont says it’s the spark in children’s eyes when learning that makes all the support worthwhile.

Baggett McCall LLC

Partner in Education with Nine Schools in Calcasieu parish

by Kerri Cooke

As a prominent local law firm in Lake Charles, Baggett McCall is committed to giving back to the community that supports them. One way the firm contributes to the local economic landscape is through the Calcasieu Parish School Board’s Partners in Education program (PIE). Thrive spoke with Missy Shaw-Brown, partner and lawyer with Baggett McCall, to talk about the company’s involvement with its nine designated schools.

While the expectations around a law career can vary from student to student, Shaw-Brown says one of her favorite things about being part of Partners in Education is when she represents the profession at career fairs. “I love talking to the kids and watching how few hands go up when I first ask, ‘Who wants to be a lawyer?’ and then seeing how that changes after I share what a career in law can look like.”

The overall goal at Baggett McCall for being involved in Partners in Education is to “support, encourage and engage with students and educators in meaningful ways,” Shaw-Brown says. The firm not only hosts events at schools, but also at their office where students can tour the facility and get a close-up view of the everyday work that comes with being a lawyer. “We talk to students about what it’s like to be a lawyer, what a typical day looks like and what subjects they should focus on if they’re interested in a legal career.”

Beyond showing students the legal field by example, Baggett McCall purchases school supplies for teachers and sponsors fun events for students. Past examples include hosting a Polar Express event at Moss Bluff Elementary and serving Kona Ice to those at St. John Elementary. Whatever a particular school needs is what Baggett McCall will hone in on.

Giving back is a way to show appreciation for local support and to pave the way for the future for Baggett McCall. “This community has allowed our firm to thrive for 67 years,” Shaw-Brown says. “Partners in Education is not only a way for us to express our gratitude to the community that has supported our small business, but also a meaningful opportunity to invest in the next generation of lawyers.”

If any businesses are interested in becoming a Partner in Education, Shaw-Brown encourages stakeholders to consider doing so. “Not only is there a need for it, but what you give, you will receive back tenfold. It’s rewarding to know that you’re making a difference not only for the students who are the future of our community, but also the educators who are molding them.”