Child Stimulation Month 2025 Kicks Off with Annual Parade

March first officially kicked off Child Stimulation Month in Belize. This year’s theme is “Small Steps, Big Skills: Unlocking Early Potential,” focusing on promoting early childhood education. To start the month with a bang, preschool children across the country took part in a lively career day parade. News Five’s Paul Lopez was in the streets of Belize City to cover the event. Here’s his report.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

March is celebrated as Child Stimulation Month in Belize, and to kick off the festivities, preschool children across the country joined in a vibrant parade. In Belize City, the turnout was fantastic, with kids dressed up as healthcare workers, police officers, lawyers, military pilots, and more. Leading the parade were members of the Belize City Council, including Mayor Bernard Wagner, marching right behind the Belize Defense Force Marching Band.

 

Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City

“It is about reimagining oneself. How we grew up in the sixties and seventies is different from how the kids are growing up in the twenty-first century. Technology and innovation is driving everything. You will see A.I, the leaps and bounds it has introduced even in the teaching environment. So, the kids of today are much more skilled, have more technological savviness. They want to learn and being a government and a city council, we try to engage them as much as we possibly can.”

 

We also spoke with several parents who joined in today’s activities with their children. Britney Nunez shared her thoughts on why this day is so important.

 

Britney Nunez, Parent

“Children awareness month is very important. Like you can see there is police, B.D.F., doctors. So, they can know that they are our future. They will become our future police, doctors, officers, so they can protect us on the longer stretch. I wah fight for anything he want to be. If he want to be a police I will fight for him. If he want to be a baller, a captain, it doesn’t matter. I will fight for him to become something good in life.”

 

Kishana Lacroix marched side by side with one of the nation’s future medical doctors. We asked her to share her vision for the future of Belize and what she hopes it will be like for her child and children all over the country.

 

Kishana Lacroix, Parent

“When I think about the future, I really want the parents to show that self-sacrificing love for their kids and to be sure that they empower them. The thing is we have been thought culturally to keep them under that stern way of whereby we are restricting the children from being who they are and be free to be who they want to be and we want to lead them in the correct path right.”

 

The kids from Wesley Preschool were all decked out in law enforcement uniforms. Even the teachers joined in the fun, swapping their usual outfits for military uniforms.

 

Karistan Harris-Dawson, Teacher, Wesley Preschool

“I am making sure that everything is going good on this route, making sure is well dressed and well hydrated.”

 

Paul Lopez

“Talk to me about the theme.”

 

Karistan Harris-Dawson

“Well the theme tells us that we need to be here for our babies, little steps, big dreams and we teachers need to be there for our children. So, who better to be there than us.”

 

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez