Students at Renaissance Academy are gaining work experience and learning new skills, thanks to the longstanding relationship Southeastern Cooperative Educational Programs (SECEP) has with many businesses in the community.

To learn what life is like outside a school setting, students participate in community-based instruction (CBI) at three different locations. Parents give permission for their children to gain valuable work-related experiences that help them transition to adulthood.

The first location is Moe’s Southwest Grill on Lynnhaven Parkway. Two days a week, students open the dining room. They take down the chairs, clean the tables and lay out the rugs.

As a thank you for all the hard work, the staff at Moe’s let the students take home chips and a drink.

Last year, the Waterman Family Dentistry located next to Moe’s asked if the students would clean the medical office’s outside windows. The students have been doing it ever since.

At Walgreens, the students restock the candy aisle. The staff brings the students the bins filled with snacks, and they put everything in the correct place. Staff has also allowed the students to occasionally do other tasks like filling online and photo orders and stocking holiday merchandise.

If there is time, the students make sure the aisles look neat and the merchandise is straight and facing the right way.

The third location is Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers. At Freddy’s the students do work similar to that at Moe’s. They get fries and a drink from the grateful staff for all their hard work.

Kara Byzewski is the SECEP school community trainer at Renaissance Academy. She said in addition to the community-based instruction, students have opportunities to go shopping in the community.

“Whether it is to buy supplies for the school or simply for the students to practice making purchases, our student also benefit from this form of community-based instruction,” Byzewski said. “The relationships that SECEP Renaissance Academy has built with these members of the community are incredibly beneficial and stimulating for our students who look forward to going every week.“