Learning Together, Leaning Forward
PathLight Belize’s Summer Learning Experience
Each year PathLight’s Teacher Training Program hosts Belizean Educators in its Annual Teacher Training Conference. In addition, this year, the Teacher Training Program hosted and trained educators from Belize and the United States in its first-ever International Summer Learning Experience under the theme “Learning Together, Learning Forward.”
The Conference (hosted on Zoom) was held during the week of July 5th through July 9th and provided over 250 teachers engaging sessions that included skill-building and online interactive collaborations. Participants were involved in making 3D models, applying Quests in Project-Based Learning, and engaging with local and international experts in various fields. Attendees had access to twenty online sessions.
One of our participants, Mrs. Blanca Cowo from San Estevan Primary School in Orange Walk, shared, “Thank you, Pathlight, for a loaded 3-day conference that provided so many take-aways. I enjoyed workshops as I gained needed knowledge. The facilitators showed me how to do something and then asked me to do it. It should be this way: I do, we do, you do — AND YOU DID!”
Our participating partners and experts included: General Electric, Lockheed Martin, STEM Highland School in Colorado, The Center for Learning with Nature, Government of Belize, Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (Belize), Ocean Academy, Project Giving Gardens, Colorado School of Mines, Water is for Everyone, Anglican Cathedral College, Excelsior High School, University of the West Indies and PathLight Belize.
PathLight is also grateful for donations and sponsorships generously provided to the conference by One Voice for Change (OV4C) and Ms. Felicity Muench (OV4C Executive Director). This assistance allowed educators to access the conference and awarded educator scholarships for teachers to earn professional credits.
Another participant, Ms. Emerita Cruz from St. Martin’s Government School in Belmopan, shared “Each year, I am extremely impressed with the content and coordinators of Pathlight for finding innovative speakers to teach us how to improve learning in the classroom relevant to our era. I especially liked the modality of incorporating our local and foreign teachers. It shows collaboration and great initiative.”
The planning and executing team for this year’s conference included: Consuelo Godfrey, PathLight’s Program Director, in collaboration with Dr. Gregg Cannady, Anne Tweed, Beatrice Geban, and Maggie Ruiz. Their strategic efforts resulted in a one-week-long conference that allowed educators from all levels of education to participate.
PathLight’s Teacher Training Program is a trusted partner with the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology, and Culture of Belize. Teachers who attended the conference will receive professional credits and awarded certificates.
Consuelo Godfrey
Director of Teacher Training, PathLight International
