First-world countries donate to provide access to education from elementary to university levels; in Belize however, books, uniforms, and transportation fees place education beyond reach for many individuals.
“Giving someone fish will only feed them for one day; teaching someone else to fish will provide food forever,” is at the core of ThriftSmart’s work.
Scholarships
Education is seen as a right in most developed nations, and governments take on the responsibility to make it accessible. Unfortunately, secondary education in Belize is not free; therefore tuition, uniforms, and transportation costs prevent many children from accessing high school education beyond secondary-level education.
This scholarship program provides scholarships to COBEC member institutions in Belize that can assist students who demonstrate financial need with covering college tuition, housing costs, and meal plans. These awards may apply towards both fall and spring semesters for up to three years or until a bachelor’s degree has been earned; dual citizens do not qualify.
Miriam Eberly, a former Eastern Mennonite Missions (EMM) worker, established this fund to provide scholarships for primary and secondary students from Belize who demonstrate Christian values as well as financial need. This fund complements existing educational efforts of the Evangelical Mennonite Church in Belize which include reading with students, teacher training programs, family literacy efforts, school supplies provisioning, etc.
Christa Fernando of Grand Valley School earned a Phi Kappa Phi study abroad grant to fund her trip to Belize last year and study ethnomedicine – an approach to medicine based on the belief that each culture possesses special healing practices and knowledge that could complement modern medical treatment methods.
Smith College Coral Reef Ed-Ventures program has been sending students to Belize for 14 years as part of the Coral Reef Ed-Ventures program to collaborate with staff at Hol Chan Marine Reserve to offer environmental education youth camps. This year, Alyssa Stanek (psychology and child studies), Kayla Clark (sociology), Sarah Tucker (biological sciences), Kiara Gomez (geosciences), and Dena Greenstreet (education and child study and liberal arts) will join forces to lead summer programs together with staff at Hol Chan Marine Reserve.
Poverty is pervasive in Belize and poses a significant barrier to children accessing quality education. Children living in poverty frequently lack access to basic human needs such as food, water, shelter, and sanitation, making learning support harder to obtain. Nearly half of children in Belize now fall below the poverty threshold.
Donate School Supplies
Belize provides an array of educational options from primary to higher education levels. The government is invested in increasing access to quality education for all, while rural students may qualify for scholarships to offset tuition costs. Unfortunately, however, many children cannot afford basic school supplies like textbooks and school bags that they require; these children need your support!
Many of the country’s schools are run by church-based organizations. This system dates back to 1962 when, under an Ordinance by the government, the salaries of teachers would be covered while churches managed the school operations and supplies while maintaining independence in managerial duties (Shoman). This church-state partnership proved highly effective; churches ran most schools successfully while older denominations owned many of the nation’s premier and high-performing institutions (Shoman).
Today, church-state partnerships remain an integral component of America’s education system. Not only does the church pay teachers’ salaries but it also covers 50% of book costs and other supplies used at school – this arrangement is particularly advantageous in rural communities that cannot afford tuition costs associated with public schools.
Though Belize makes efforts to ensure quality education is accessible for all of its citizens, learning outcomes remain low for socially vulnerable groups and an alarming number of children drop out of school each year. To address these challenges, the U.S. Southern Command’s Humanitarian Assistance Program is offering students in select rural communities necessary school supplies in order to return to class this fall.
Moore and White worked with local teachers in Belize to conduct professional development workshops on new literacy tools. Once implemented in their instruction, these teachers took these tools back into their classrooms for further use in instruction. One key takeaway from these workshops was how difficult it is for Belizean children to learn to read when lacking resources or tools to do so; books often succumb to humidity damage while schools lack sufficient teaching materials; students therefore relied heavily on rote memory as a method of reading acquisition.
Donate Technology
Many Belizean schools do not have adequate access to computers and other technologies. Equipping students with access will give them the opportunity to develop the necessary skills for future careers and act as teaching aids during traditional classroom lessons.
Computers provide students with tools to improve their English, research information, and complete assignments and projects more efficiently. Schools with computers also increase students’ chances of taking advanced placement classes and exploring careers in science, engineering, and math fields.
Contrary to many public schools in the US, many primary and secondary schools in Belize lack computer labs which may prevent students from developing necessary technological skills for success in our increasingly technological society.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has provided several Belizean schools with school supplies, furniture, and repair funds from The Latter Day Saints. Furthermore, members have donated time and labor to clean and paint buildings – which has greatly enhanced the physical conditions of schools – while also providing materials and funds for three new schools to be constructed in Orange Walk and Cayo districts.
Belizean schools are rapidly adopting technology into their lesson plans to better assist their student’s understanding of complex subjects. Unfortunately, however, several obstacles exist that hinder this use, including cost and access issues to the Internet.
While some high schools and colleges in Belize possess computers, most schools lack Internet or computer lab access. Although steps have been taken by the government to provide Internet connectivity for schools, this will only benefit a portion of Belizean school systems.
The GlobalGiving Belize Education Initiative aims to give at-risk children access to the education they require for success in today’s world. Donations made through this project are tax deductible in the United States and you can make either one-time donations or become one of its PathMaker or BridgeBuilder sponsors to give hope and secure futures to Belizean children.
Travel
Education is considered a fundamental right in many nations worldwide and governments shoulder responsibility for making it available. Belize requires children to attend primary school and parents can be fined if they fail to do so; however, books, uniforms, and annual fees for secondary education make this option inaccessible for many families.
Belize, an emerging nation, strives to provide access to quality education for all of its citizens; however, limited government resources and political instability thwart efforts to implement innovative educational programs.
Giga will enable schools across the nation to have a high-speed internet connection, giving students access to rich online learning experiences and expanding their horizons. Furthermore, more children will have access to quality pre-primary, primary, and secondary education services thanks to Giga.
Belize is a culturally Caribbean nation, with roots dating back to British colonialism. English is its official language; however, most residents also speak Kriol as well as Spanish and Mayan.
Education in Belize is a top priority of its government, receiving close to one-quarter of total government expenditure on primary and secondary schools. Unfortunately, quality is often poor due to teachers being underpaid; rural areas often struggle to find qualified staff; outdated teaching methods being implemented; and teachers being underpaid.
Religious schools currently make up most of the schools in this country and many are operated by evangelical churches including Catholic, Evangelical, Mennonite, Seventh-Day Adventist and Mormon groups. The partnership between church and state dates back centuries.
Church funding remains the most reliable source for these schools, though its ability to meet demand has declined as churches age and families dwindle. This shift has placed an additional burden on the state which must now cover teacher salaries and supplies while trying to manage operating costs effectively.
Moore, White, and a team of Washburn students collaborated with two rural schools in Belize in 2017 to design and deliver professional development workshops to their teachers. Workshop topics focused on assisting far behind students, moving beyond rote memory as a teaching method, and implementing best practices for literacy development. Their student group provided numerous materials – such as bookbags donated from St. Louis retirement communities as well as tables that feature slots for bookbags on chair backs – which they donated directly.
