Category: Education

This week’s Look on the Bright Side is another highlight of exemplary work being done in Belize’s education system. An example of doing more through inclusion is acknowledged in Horizon Academy’s approach to incorporate paraprofessionals in their school system since its inception. Who are paraprofessionals? That’s what Sabreena sought to find out. Here’s that story.

Sabreena Daly, Reporting

Pedro Magana has been enrolled at Horizon Academy since kindergarten and is also diagnosed with autism. He is a success story and an example of what support to children with special needs can accomplish. His mother, Azalia Magana, shares that this is achieved because he attends a school that not only embraces students with special needs, but has a system in place for continuous learning of special needs.

Azalia Magana, Mother

“These teachers are continuously getting education on how to deal with special needs kids and it gave me assurance knowing that my child won’t be the first child that comes with a disability. He won’t be the first child that has autism. The teachers would have had previous experience and we learn from it. Even though maybe they don’t have a master’s degree in special ed, they have that experience and they have people that do have that education background that will pass on that knowledge to them. So that was one of the reasons why I chose Horizon.”

Ensuring that everyone can learn, regardless of their ability or disability, is essential for fostering an inclusive society. In Belize, the Ministry of Education is actively working towards this goal. Leading the way in this effort is Horizon Academy, arguably the only school that has independently championed this inclusive approach. Elvia Avilez is the school’s principal.

Elia Avilez, Principal, Horizon Academy

“Since Horizon Academy’s inception in 2009, inclusion was at the heart of its beginning and it just lends itself to the guiding principles that we refer to as CHIP, which is Child centered, Holistic, Inclusive, and Progressive. And so all of these principles link together in making Horizon Academy one of the very few schools in the nation who has embraced inclusion fully. This is intentional and it again it it’s just because we fully embrace the philosophy of inclusion and a part of that philosophy is indeed for all of our children to be in the classroom and we have created a special education division that intentionally has a plan in ensuring that all our students’ learning needs are met and they are included in the regular classroom where we have our children who are neurotypical and our children who are neurodiverse as well.”

Horizon Academy’s growing student population includes twenty-five students with special needs. To support these students, the Special Education Department employs dedicated individuals who provide essential assistance and guidance, also known as paraprofessionals.

Elia Avilez

“These services are provided in collaboration with the teacher, the parent, and our support teachers, and that term is now being recognized as the paraprofessionals. Where we only had one, and then two, over the years that number has increased. This year we have eight paraprofessionals with our special education coordinator who also acts as a paraprofessional, making it nine persons who are a part of the special ed division.”

Inga Sandoval, Special Education Coordinator, Horizon Academy

“Firstly, we provide support in the classroom with the paraprofessionals. The paraprofessionals serve as a bridge between the special ed department and the classroom. So they work with the students inside the classroom and they work with them based on the curriculum that is being given. We work with them on a slower pace you’d say or we do adoption and we also do modification on the work so that these kids can learn and understand and get the work done.”

Paraprofessionals have been formally integrated into Horizon Academy’s staff since its inception. In contrast, many other schools require parents to independently provide a paraprofessional. Pedro met his paraprofessional, Gilda Broaster, three years ago. Now supporting him in Infant 2, Broaster has become an integral part of his academic journey at Horizon. She shares with us what their interaction has been like.

Gilda Broaster, Paraprofessional, Horizon Academy

“When I met him it took a lot of structuring, social learning and even the relationship that I have with his mom, keeping communication on what we’re working on, what works, what doesn’t work, as well as tips from them on what works at home. Also he’s very smart and a good listener. His level of learning is, to me, very high. So, it’s just figuring out what works for him and trying to stick to that.”

Azalia Magana

“When we came he did preschool, infant one and now infant two and I was blessed enough to have Ms. Gilda Broaster. She’s the paraprofessional that’s with him.  Pedrito immediately fell in love with her. She is a teacher, she’s a mother, she’s a friend all in one.”

At Horizon Academy, the level of aid provided to students with special needs, like Pedro, is tailored to their individual requirements. The Special Education Coordinator says that they support a wide range of special needs, from physical disabilities to severe learning challenges, while emphasizing the importance of classroom inclusion.

Inga Sandoval

“This is beneficial, you see, for both the child who is a special learner and also the normal students because it’s kind of like a sensitization then where they learn and understand that, hey, there’s other children who learn differently, you know. So when they do leave Horizon and they’re out there in society, they already know, okay, there’s other kinds of disabilities, not just normal, you see, normal people within the community.”

Gilda Broaster, Paraprofessional, Horizon Academy

“What we do is we observe their behavior. We observe how they interact, the academic level that they’re at. We do something called benchmark where we test to see where they’re at academically. And then we go from there based on the child, the things that they like, the things that they gravitate to, when it comes to learning, because we try to incorporate everything into learning.”

The goal is to provide the necessary support to these students until they no longer need it. Azalia Magana says it’s a reality she did not think would come this soon. Pedro has not only advanced in his level of learning, but shows promise of parting ways with his parapro, Miss Broaster.

Azalia Magana

“The principal, Ms. Elia, told me our goal is to help him until he doesn’t need us anymore. And I thought, no, he’s going to need a paraprofessional throughout  the years. I thought that he would always need it. But the support was greater when he was in preschool and infant one, but he’s gotten more independent. And so this year in infant two, we got to the point that Miss Gilda would tell me, Pedro doesn’t need me that much. It’s such a blessing that we’re living here in Belize City and we had the opportunity to have him in a school like this.  My heart goes out to all those parents that don’t have the opportunity to have their kids with a paraprofessional in the class when they need it because, I don’t know, had this not been possible, I don’t know if I would have moved to a different country, or quit working to be able to be that paraprofessional. I know that he needed it, and I think it’s essential.”

Looking on the Bright Side, I’m Sabreena Daly.

This year, eleven more Belizean youths will be able to further their education through the work of the Community Policing Unit and its partners.  The Community Policing Unit held a ceremony to commemorate the achievements of the scholars and present them with their rewards. News Five’s Britney Gordon attended the ceremony to meet the students and the proud sponsors of their education.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

The surge in crime over the past few months has been a primary concern for the Belize Police Department. On Tuesday, a state of emergency came into effect to combat the spike in gang activity. The Community Policing Unit is on a mission to curb gang activity using a proactive means of fighting crime.  Eleven students from vulnerable communities across the country are the recipients of high school and college scholarships. ACP Howell Gillett, National Commander of the Community Policing Unit, told us about this approach.

A.C.P. Howell Gillett, National Commander, Community Policing

“So our main objective is to keep our young people in school. There was a study done some years ago by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.  And one of the findings of that study asserts that if a child is allowed to stay in school up to age seventeen, the chances of that child becoming a criminal or involved in criminal activities reduces by fifty percent. And that is awesome, so we are guided by that study and many other studies that have been done to show that if young people  get  quality education, we’ll have less crime in our communities. So the longer term plan is to  not allow young people to join these gangs, to join the  existing criminals so that we use suppressive policing to stop what is occurring now, but we also look deeper into the future to help our young people to remain positive and successful to build Belize.”

The Community Policing Unit places officers in vulnerable communities to familiarize themselves with residents, promoting healthy relationships between officers and the people they serve. Sixteen-year-old Edgar Seguro, a scholarship recipient who will begin his studies at Saint John’s Junior College this year, is grateful for the opportunity.

Britney Gordon

“What do you plan to study?”

Edgar Segura, Scholarship Recipient

“Business administration with accounting.

Britney Gordon

“So when you were approached by the policing unit and told that you would be selected to be a part of this program, what was your reaction? How did you feel?”

Edgar Segura

“First of all, I was thankful and grateful because I know how rare it is for people to get an opportunity to further their studies. First reaction, I was thankful and grateful.”

The unit hopes that by encouraging students to seek higher education, it will open doors for them to contribute positively to society.  Segura says that he is looking forward to that day.

Britney Gordon

“Have you always wanted to go to sixth form?“

Edgar Segura

“Yes, ma’am. It was a goal that I had in my head from high school. And so it’s a very good experience, a very extraordinary experience for me knowing that I can get to go.”

Britney Gordon

“And are you already thinking about what you want to be when you grow up?”

Edgar Segura

“All I know is I want to be somebody in the business force, but I’ve not made that decision as yet, as what specific I want to be.”

The scholarships are provided by several organizations. Andre Salgado, Manager of Quality Poultry, says that participating in the scholarship program is a new and rewarding endeavor for the company.

Andre Salgado, Manager, Quality Poultry

“This is the first time that we’ve ever considered doing a scholarship for any child. Quality poetry has throughout the almost fifty years of existence have given back to the community. We do donations to schools, different community events and activities. But when mister Howard approached us, we thought it was something That would be a change for us. It would be different. At the end of the day. Yes, it’s true. There is crime and we’re trying to figure out as well as a corporate customer. How we can help eliminate or try to help reduce the crime in Belize. So I do believe this is one way. Reaching out to kids that do need a scholarship.”

By developing connections within the community, the department is better informed and empowered to solve public safety issues. A.C.P. Gillett says that it is through this approach that the unit was able to select what students could benefit from the scholarships.

A.C.P. Howell Gillett

“Policing is not about just making an arrest in the community. If we don’t have to reach to the point of making an arrest. That’s a better part of it. Prevention is better than cure. So we want to help young people from that formative year, eight to fifteen, as suggested by most studies. We try to work with them from those years to see if we could keep them positive and let them graduate into successful adulthood. As you saw, there’s a parent who is an amputee. There are two of the children here receiving scholarships where the fathers were killed by gun violence. These children may not have the opportunity, otherwise, to go on with their studies. Our community policing officers went into the communities, went into the schools, to find the ones who would not have been given that opportunity to further their education. We are happy to be doing it.”

Britney Gordon for News Five.

The Ministry of Education has responded to the University of Belize’s Faculty and Staff Union.  As we reported on Thursday, the U.B.F.S.U. raised serious concerns regarding the subvention that the university receives from the Government of Belize.  According to the union, the Briceño administration promised to increase the annual subvention but has failed to keep its word. Earlier today, the ministry issued a statement in which it says, “the government currently provides an annual subvention of seven point six million dollars to U.B.  In addition to this, the MoECST has provided scholarship and financial assistance to U.B. students at an unprecedented level of seven point five million dollars annually from 2020 to 2023, compared to the 2019 total of one point five million dollars.  Notable, as well, is the level of support being provided to individual members of the faculty and staff to further their education and upgrade their capacity to serve the U.B.”  U.B.F.S.U. President, Doctor Pio Saqui shares other concerns that the union has raised.

Dr. Pio Saqui, President, U.B.F.S.U.

“There is one other promise that was made in that same communication in 2021, I believe, where the government or then P.U.P. made it a commitment to include the University of Belize Faculty and Staff Union as part of the board of the University of Belize because then it did recognize the disrespect that the university administration showed the union during that time  of COVID when we were asking the question of financial exigency, et cetera.  And that needs to be something that’s also is made good on because currently we do have a faculty representative on the board in the person of Mr. Tim Dami; however, there is limited representation for our staff and other members of our employees at the University of Belize.  So having a union representative on the board would be something that’s absolutely important and that is a process that I think should happen and it shouldn’t take very much.  The University of Belize’s U.B. Act is being amended and this should be something that is included so that we are given the respect and treated as equal partners of the university in every sense of the situation, you know, because the University of Belize is made up of its faculty and its staff and the union representatives do need to go, the faculty and staff union needs to go and it needs to be included as a partner on the board and be represented very well.  The staff are very important for the U.B. equally.”

Sixty-three Belizean students are embarking on their path to success with the help of the Pathlight scholarship. This morning, those students gathered at the U.W.I campus where they received their certificate to commemorate the achievement. This year’s recipients hail from various parts of the country, including Belize, Orange Walk, and Cayo districts. The scholarship will provide students with all the materials necessary to complete their studies, as well as the guidance to encourage them along the way. News Five’s Britney Gordon attended the award ceremony this morning to meet the happy scholars. Here’s that story.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Twelve-year-old ZImani Usher wants to be an astronaut and twelve-year-old Eriston Usher wants to be an attorney. These children are just two of sixty-three students who are one step closer to achieving their dreams. They are the recipients of the Pathlight Scholarships. Luwani Cayetano, C.E.O. of Pathlight, shares her pride and excitement for the graduating scholars.

Luwani Cayetano, C.E.O., Pathlight

“They’re looking smart. They’re extremely smart. They’re funny. They’re exciting. We have students who are coming into high school and then we have students who recently graduated who will also be remaining with us doing their associates degree. Bachelor’s degree. So it’s a mixture of students. And it’s just wonderful. It’s wonderful that we get to serve them. It’s wonderful that they get to be a part of transforming our nation. And for us at Pathlight, what we want is more Belizeans to get involved with us.”

Sixteen-year-old-Destiny Requena is not only a second-time Pathlight recipient, but also the valedictorian for the Class of 2024 at Edward P. York High School. Her journey with Pathlight has been enjoyable.

Destiny Requena, Scholarship Recipient

“My experience at Pathlight has been nothing but the best. I couldn’t ask for a better scholarship program to be enrolled in. It has been four beautiful years for me. I’ve developed myself all around because I’ve developed spiritually, I’ve developed academically, I’ve been able to meet new people, network with other people. I’ve been able to have multiple opportunities to go outside the country and build myself overall as a leader in Belize. So it has been a beautiful experience to me thanks to Path light.”

The Pathlight Scholarship assists students with tuition, uniforms, books and transportation. Erica Joseph, Sponsorship Plus Director at Pathlight, says that the scholarship is highly competitive, but the team carefully selects recipients based on performance and need.

Erica Joseph, Sponsorship Plus Director, Pathlight

“The process is a very stringent one the scholarship is a very competitive one. So we got over three hundred applications this year just for the start of high school. And out of that, we were only able to select forty-four. Our main criteria for selection looks at the student’s academic potential and their families having that high financial need in order for them to get and complete their high school journey. The application process for the continuing students is more internal because we want to continue on with students that are already in the Pathlight program and who have shown great motivation and their potential to succeed. To go further and to do more. And so we want to continue with them through that.”

Pathlight hopes that by opening the door for these students, they will be able to step into a world beyond what they ever thought possible to achieve. Christian Heckley, Executive Director of Pathlight International, tells us more about the goals of the organization.

Christian Hoeckley, Executive Director, Pathlight International.

“As is well known, education is one of the most important foundations for a country to continue its development. So we see this as an opportunity to support Not just these beautiful students and their families, but really the entire nation of Belize. We hope that we are educating the next generation of leaders in Belize. We’re certainly developing young men and women who will be fantastically productive citizens for Belize. It’s a beautiful thing for me to be a part of.”

For this year’s cohort of students, the journey with Pathlight has only just begun, but twelve-year-old, Priya Talreja is already excited and also encourages other students to shoot for the stars.

Priya Talreja, Scholarship Recipient

“Go for it.  Try to do your best, try your absolute best to try to get into this organization. It’s a great organization.  What they are giving in this scholarship. It is a great organization. The mentors and the workers and the faculty over there are super nice. I’ve been there before. They’re super nice. And yes, I would encourage you to try to join the Pathlight community and don’t ever doubt yourself.”

Britney Gordon for News Five.