Belle Chasse Academy, Inc.

The mission of Belle Chasse Academy is to educate our military-dependent children, no matter what their background or previous school experience, to fully achieve their personal and academic potential through the acquisition of core knowledge and the skills of analysis, problem-solving, communication, and personal responsibility.

Belle Chasse Academy is an A rated, SACS CASI accredited, Type II charter school. BCA's mission is to educate our military-dependent children, no matter what their background or previous school experience, to fully achieve their personal and academic potential through the acquisition of core knowledge and the skills of analysis, problem-solving, communication, and global responsibility. BCA was recognized with Top Gains and Equity Designations by the Louisiana Department of Education in 2019. BCA was proudly awarded the Top Workplace award consecutively from 2015-2020.

BCA offers an extensive after school activities program through 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC). The 21st CCLC program is designed to provide a safe environment for children and offer an array of high-quality educational, developmental, and recreational services for students and their families with the purpose of advancing academics and social well-being through various extended learning opportunities.

BCA has been recognized and awarded for its efforts toward "going green" and becoming a sustainable business. In 2015, BCA was recognized as a Certified Green Business by Life City and won the Green Schools Challenge. In 2016, BCA received the Green Games Emerging Leadership Award by Life City and was recognized by the USDA with a Once in a Melon Award for the Farm to School Program. In 2017, BCA was selected as a Green Ribbon School Honoree by the U.S. Department of Education. In 2018, BCA was recognized by the Louisiana Green Schools Challenge for our Pollination Butterfly Garden. This green initiative has developed into a teaching and production garden with a hydroponic lettuce produce system. The food harvested on campus by students and staff is used in school lunches.

In 2019, the Emeril Lagasse Foundation chose BCA as its second school site of the recently launched Emeril's Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen. Established by the Emeril Lagasse Foundation, Emeril's Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen is a nationwide education initiative created to enrich the lives of elementary and middle school children through a fun, fresh perspective on food. This program uses a one of a kind K-8 gardening and cooking curriculum that is integrated across all core subjects and aligned with national academic standards.

Donations from Give NOLA Day in addition to the grant award will continue to support the expansion of our current gardening program and offset the cost of our newly constructed outdoor culinary learning center that serves as the heart of the school's infrastructure. The center presently accommodates student classes conducted by the garden coordinator, culinary instructor, health teacher and classroom teachers, as well as guest experts such as chefs, farmers, economists and scientists.

Testimonials

"My wife Alden and I are excited to welcome Belle Chasse Academy as the second school site of the Emeril's Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen program," said Chef Emeril Lagasse. "This program provides the resources, tools and knowledge to succeed in and beyond the classroom, and we are thrilled to bring it to New Orleans, the place where our Foundation work began and where we remain committed and invested."