THE CHALLENGE:

EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS

Classroom Assistants
Help enhance the quality of education for the children of Belize by assisting in the local classrooms.

Tutoring, Educational Seminars, Fun Events
Provide help and encouragement to high school students.

Vocational Training
Help provide practical training to young people who are unable to attend high school.

CONSTRUCTION/REPAIR PROJECTS

Armenia Water Supply
Help to provide clean water to Armenia Village during the dry season.

Tea Kettle Catholic Public School Classroom
Help to repair the roof, doors, and windows of the school’s primary grade classroom.

St. Margaret’s Medical Clinic Expansion
Help to improve the medical care available at St. Margaret’s Village.

Armenia Government School Cafeteria
Complete the school cafeteria, so more kids can have a nutritious lunch.

Armenia Government School Classroom
Provide a much needed classroom for the overcrowded Armenia primary school.

Armenia City Council Office
Completing and securing the office will benefit the entire community.

PROJECTS AT JAGUAR CREEK:

Laundry Facility
Help build a new laundry and linen storage facility.

PROJECT DETAILS:

EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS

Classroom Assistants / Student TeachersAdieTeaching
Cost: Food and lodging at Jaguar Creek.
Goal: Enhance quality of education for the children of Belize by providing assistant teachers to schools in local villages.
Rationale: School teachers in Belize are faced with an overwhelming challenge. Many do not have the training and resources that they need to be effective. The students often only speak English as a second language, and rarely have any pre-school experience. Student volunteers with a desire to help children succeed are an invaluable aid, while volunteers with experience and training in education can ensure a lasting quality of education by providing local teachers with the tools and encouragement they need to continue effective teaching methods for future years of students to come.
Details: Jaguar Creek is currently working with Armenia Government Primary School and Belmopan Baptist High School. The length of commitment is flexible, and we will do our best to accommodate volunteers wishing to work for only a few days or even a full year. Please remember, however, that children often become attached to individuals, and a longer stay is preferred.
Schedule: We will work to accommodate any schedule and length of stay, but please provide Jaguar Creek with plenty of advanced notice. In some cases, a work permit will be required.
Volunteers needed: Students, teachers, and those with a heart for helping God’s children are all needed for this project to succeed. Our hope is to aid in the education of the students of Belize while expressing the love of Jesus Christ, so a strong faith and a desire to work with students are essential qualities. No past teaching experience is required, but those without actual experience or training will need to provide evidence for an ability to work with children in a classroom setting.Back to Top

Tutoring, Educational Seminars, Fun Eventsfun_event.jpg
Cost: Food and lodging at Jaguar Creek.
Goal: Encourage students to succeed in their studies throughout the school year.
Rationale: Jaguar Creek has started a scholarship program allowing more students to continue their education into high school, but we want to offer more than just financial aid. With our tutoring, seminars, and events programs we will give the children an opportunity to receive extra help with their studies through various encouraging and enjoyable activities.
Details: On a monthly basis, the students will be invited to visit Jaguar Creek for seminars, activities, and other events that will teach them basic skills such as note-taking, study habits, and test-taking. Tutors will be made available to students having trouble with a particular subject. Other events will be fun opportunities for the children to watch a movie, play games, or enjoy other social activities.
Schedule: Events will typically be scheduled on weekends so they do not interfere with students’ classes, and we will meet at least once every month.
Volunteers needed: Volunteers involved in this project will be meeting with and encouraging a small group of about 15 high school students, so a desire to work with students is essential. Those with experience in teaching or working with children, and specifically those with some expertise in a particular subject area, are especially helpful. Back to Top

Vocational Training
Cost: Some training materials will be required, and cost is to be determined.
Goal: To provide practical training to young people who are unable to attend high school.
Rationale: While we will do everything we can to help Belizean students attend high school, the reality is that some students will not pass the entrance exam. Due to a lack of education and experience, basic manual labor tends to be their only work option. Jaguar Creek’s vocational training program will provide these young people with practical training, giving them the necessary skills to work in a specific field and ensure a better career.
Details: Jaguar Creek will offer free training programs of one or more weeks that will cover a specific subject. The subjects instructed will greatly depend on volunteer expertise, but will include “trade” skills such as construction, home repair, cooking, and computers. Students who successfully complete the course will be rewarded with a certificate of completion which will boost their self-esteem and give them an edge when looking for work. In addition to these courses, we will offer workshops to help students prepare a resume and search for a job.
Schedule: Open. Most training courses will take at least one week to complete.
Volunteers needed: These programs are a great opportunity for Jaguar Creek volunteers to offer hope and minister to young people who may feel discouraged about their inability to attend high school. Candidates must have a desire to work with and minister to young people, in addition to some expertise in a specific skill that will be taught to their students. Back to Top

CONSTRUCTION/REPAIR PROJECTS

Armenia Water Supply:waterslab.jpg
SPOKEN FOR! A team has volunteered to come to Jaguar Creek in March 2008 to complete this project.
Cost: Approximately $5100 USD. Farragut Presbyterian Church in Tennessee has pledged $1500 for the first phase of this project.
Goal: To provide Armenia Village with water storage tanks for the development center and public laundry facility.
Rationale: During the annual dry season, Armenia Village has no immediate access to water, forcing the locals to walk one mile to Caves Branch River for washing clothes and collecting drinking water. Not only is this inconvenient, but the poor water quality is a serious health risk and doing laundry in the river contaminates the environment. In addition, the Armenia Development Center has been designated as a hurricane shelter, but there is currently no water supply for flushing toilets or drinking water. This project will provide a source of water for routine and emergency use at the facility.
Details: We intend to construct a concrete pad and four 1200 gallon tanks to provide water for the laundry facility and development center. These tanks will collect and store rain water, and a truck will be brought in to fill the tanks during the dry season.
Schedule: Our goal is to complete this project by the end of January 2008, before the annual water supply runs out. We will first need a team to complete the construction of the concrete pad, then another team to install the plumbing. Some carpentry and electrical wiring will also be required to complete the project.
Teams Needed: The Jaguar Creek staff will supervise this project, and no special knowledge or skill is required. Experience in laying concrete, working with PVC pipe, or basic construction is especially useful. Teams of any size are welcome to volunteer. Back to Top

Tea Kettle Catholic Public SchoolTKClassroom
COMPLETED: A team from Mission Springs Community Church in Fremont, CA installed a brand new roof in October 2007!
Goal: To repair the roof, doors, and windows of the school’s primary classroom. Cost: Approximately $3500
Rationale: Students often get wet during classes due to the poor condition of the classroom’s roof, and the room has become vandalized due to a lack of security on the doors and windows.
Details: The classroom’s roof will be completely replaced with new metal, while the windows and doors will be fitted with added security.
Schedule: Work on the classroom should ideally be done in the summer or on weekends when students are not in class, but we can work with the school to accommodate the best timing for a team.
Teams Needed: The Jaguar Creek staff will supervise this project, and no special knowledge or skill is required. Experience in carpentry is helpful, and at least a few volunteers need to be willing to work on the roof. Teams of any size are welcome to volunteer. Back to Top

St. Margaret’s Clinic Expansion
NEAR COMPLETION: A team from Mission Springs Community Church in Fremont, CA completed the roof of the clinic in October 2007. The Jaguar Creek staff is currently working to finish the interior.
Goal: Complete the expansion of St. Margaret’s medical clinic.
Cost: Approximately $6000. A local company has pledged to provide 50% of this cost.
Rationale: St. Margaret’s clinic only employs one doctor who commutes from Belmopan, about 27 miles away. Because of the distance, the doctor cannot be there every day, and there is no place to stay overnight. By adding a small room to the clinic, the doctor can stay overnight and provide the village with more hours of availability and medical attention.
Details: A Jaguar Creek team from Baylor University recently completed the concrete foundation, and another group from Wayne Presbyterian will complete the walls in July. Completion of the project can be scheduled based on the team’s availability.
Schedule: Booked for July 2007
Teams Needed: The Jaguar Creek staff will supervise this project, and no special knowledge or skill is required. Experience in carpentry and light construction is helpful. Teams of any size are welcome to volunteer. Back to Top

Armenia Government School Cafeteria
Goal: To complete the school cafeteria.
Cost: Approximately $500 USD.
Rationale: Many children at the Armenia primary school do not have access to a healthy lunch. The cafeteria will provide a place for nutritious lunches to be prepared and sold to children at low prices.
Details: Two Jaguar Creek teams have completed the floors, walls, and roof of this building, but it is still lacking doors, windows, power, and plumbing. Some details on cook employment and compensation still need to be worked out.
Schedule: Any time of year is acceptable, but completion before the start of the school year in September would be ideal.
Teams Needed: The Jaguar Creek staff will supervise this project, and no special knowledge or skill is required. Experience in carpentry and light construction is helpful. Teams of any size are welcome to volunteer. Back to Top

Armenia Government School Classroom
Goal: To provide another classroom for the Armenia primary school.
Cost: Approximately $3000 USD.
Rationale: The government of Belize cannot afford to supply schools with the money necessary to ensure a proper learning environment for students. The school in Armenia village often has two classes in a single room, and it is not uncommon for children to be turned away and not allowed to attend at all. Multiple requests have been made to the Ministry of Education, but no commitment has been made to expand the building.
Details: Three classrooms have already been built by past Jaguar Creek teams, and a new one would duplicate their design. The classroom will have a concrete floor, wood-framed walls, and a metal roof.
Schedule: This is a relatively large project and will be completed in three phases. First, a team will excavate and pour the foundation. Next, the walls will be framed and built. In the last phase, a team will install the roof and electrical wiring. Any time of year is acceptable.
Teams Needed: The Jaguar Creek staff will supervise this project, and no special knowledge or skill is required. Experience in carpentry and light construction is helpful. Teams should consist of at least 10 volunteers. Back to Top

Armenia City Council Office
Goal: To complete and secure the windows and doors of the Armenia City Council Office.
Cost: Approximately $1000 USD.
Rationale: A building has been constructed by Jaguar Creek teams to act as a meeting place and office for the Armenia Village City Council, but it is still lacking doors and windows. This building will allow the council to provide regular office hours and act as a common meeting place, improving communication within the community.
Details: Doors and windows will be installed in the building.
Schedule: Any time is acceptable.
Teams Needed: The Jaguar Creek staff will supervise this project, and no special knowledge or skill is required. Experience in carpentry and light construction is helpful. Teams of any size are welcome to volunteer. Back to Top

PROJECTS AT JAGUAR CREEK:

Laundry Facility
Goal: To design and build a new laundry facility.
Cost: Approximately $5000 USD. (These Costs will be paid from the Jaguar Creek operating budget.) Rationale: Rationale: The current storage area for washers, dryers, and linens has been converted to act as a power storage and water treatment building. Another building, specifically designed for laundry, needs to be constructed.
Details: Only a concrete slab has been constructed for this building, and the building itself is still in the design phase. It will house two washing machines, two dryers, linen storage, and additional storage for housekeeping materials.
Schedule: Any time is acceptable.
Teams Needed: Volunteers with expertise in designing buildings are currently needed, in addition to a construction team to build the facility once the details have been worked out. Back to Top