Belizean Teachers Can Still Apply for U.S. Teaching Opportunity in 2025

Competitive salaries and health insurance are just a few attractive benefits of teaching in the United States. Teachers currently seeking opportunities like these can do so through Participate Learning, a cultural exchange program that focuses on recruiting ‘cultural ambassadors educators’ from various countries such as Australia, Europe, China, and even Belize. The program is still accepting applications for 2025, and interested educators can submit their application.

Ronald Ramírez, Recruitment Manager for Latin America at Participate Learning, told News 5, “We want teachers to become cultural ambassadors of their country. We want to create understanding, cooperation, and empathy through education.”

Ramírez stated that the teachers that are selected get to teach in U.S. schools for up to 5 years under a ‘Cultural Exchange Visa’ and with salaries ranging from $41,000 to $55,000 annually, based on experience and qualifications.

Ramírez recognised that Belize’s primary language—English—makes it a valuable asset for these programs. However, the program is also open to teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL), Spanish Immersion (preschool and elementary), and Spanish as a Foreign Language.

Ramírez spoke about the impact that U.S. students receive from teachers participating in these programs, exemplifying a case whereby he recalled a Belizean teacher bringing Belizean dollars into the classroom to teach her students math by “purchasing” with Belizean dollars. 

He added that while becoming an “international teacher” may come with sacrifices such as leaving one’s current job and country, “they will have a whole list of benefits,” he said, “I’m not only talking about the salaries; I’m talking about the professional knowledge they’re going to get… At the end, the teacher is going to benefit from it, and the students in Belize will benefit when the teacher comes back, because it’s not going to be the same educator coming back; that is going to impact Belizean students positively.”

According to Ramírez, only 45 Belizean teachers have been part of the program so far, with about 25 active teachers in South Carolina, Virginia, and North Carolina.

To qualify, applicants must have at least two years of teaching experience, a degree in education, and a valid driver’s license. Married applicants can bring their families but need at least five or more years of experience.

Applications are free and can be submitted year-round at Participate Learning.