Pathlight International's Belize Base

PathLight International is a non-profit organisation that aims to provide education to children in Belize, with the goal of breaking the cycle of poverty. The organisation is located in Pleasanton, California, USA, but has centres in Belmopan and Belize City, with plans to expand to other districts in Belize. It provides tuition, fees, uniforms, books, digital devices, tutoring, psychosocial support, mentorship, and access to various programs to help students develop leadership skills.

Pathlight International's work in Belize

PathLight International is a non-profit organisation that works to provide education to children in Belize, with the aim of helping them escape poverty and reach their potential. It is often overlooked by major charities, and free education in the country stops after the age of 12. PathLight provides children with tuition, fees, uniforms, books, digital devices, tutoring, psychosocial support, mentorship, and access to various programs. The organisation also works to train teachers and improve school infrastructure.

PathLight's vision is to transform Belize by educating and developing future generations of leaders. It aims to become the leading NGO partner in helping the Belizean government achieve its goals regarding teacher training and secondary school graduation rates. To this end, PathLight has established teacher educator centres in Belmopan and Belize City, with plans to set up more centres in other districts. These centres provide teachers with resources, curriculum support, and a space to work.

PathLight's efforts have had a multiplier effect in Belize, contributing to the country's goals in areas such as adolescent pregnancy reduction, literacy improvement, and the prevention of youth recruitment into gangs. In 2019, the organisation signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Ministry of Education, formalising their collaboration and leading to the implementation of joint teacher training and literacy development programs.

Through its work, PathLight provides hope and opportunities for children in Belize, empowering them to break free from poverty and become competent leaders who can thrive in a dynamic and interconnected world.

Teacher Educator Centres

Pathlight International is a non-profit organisation that empowers children in Belize to receive a quality education and escape poverty. The charity provides tuition, fees, uniforms, books, digital devices, tutoring, psychosocial support, mentorship, and access to various programs to help them develop leadership skills.

Pathlight International has established teacher educator centres in Belmopan and Belize City, with plans to set up more centres in each district. These centres are designed to support teachers by providing resources, curriculum guidance, printing services, and lamination. The centres are made possible through grants from Rotary International, Rotary Sunrise, and Rotary Seven Springs. The Belizean government has offered space in their district offices to house these centres, ensuring that teachers across the country can access them.

The organisation's ultimate goal is to become the leading NGO partner in helping the Belizean government achieve its ambition of having 100% trained teachers and a net student graduation rate of over 60% in secondary schools. Pathlight International also aims to address the multidimensional poverty that impacts children's ability to stay in school. By providing education and faith-centred after-school programs, the organisation strives to transform Belize by developing future generations of leaders.

Partner organisations

PathLight International is a non-profit organisation that works in collaboration and partnership with various entities to empower children in Belize to escape poverty through education. The organisation's partner organisations include:

• The Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology
• The Ministry of Human Development
• Rotary International
• Organisation of American States
• Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU)
• Michigan State University (MSU)
• Office of the Special Envoy for Families and Children

PathLight International also works closely with the Belizean government to achieve its educational goals. In 2019, the organisation signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Ministry of Education, strengthening their collaboration and coordination. This public-private partnership has resulted in the implementation of joint teacher training and literacy development programs and the establishment of teacher resource centres across Belize.

The organisation also has a community of monthly donors called Beacon, whose support is crucial in training teachers, transforming classrooms, and ensuring that every child in Belize receives a quality education.

Pathlight's Orange Walk Resource Centre

Pathlights Orange Walk Resource Centre

Pathlight International is a non-profit organisation that empowers children in Belize to receive a quality education, break free from poverty, and reach their potential. It was founded to address the issue of 49% of Belize's children living in poverty and provide support after free education stops at age 12. Pathlight's work includes providing children with tuition, fees, uniforms, books, digital devices, academic tutoring, psychosocial support, mentorship, and access to various programs.

Pathlight Belize inaugurated a new Orange Walk Resource Centre in July 2022. The opening ceremony was attended by Prime Minister John Briceno and Special Envoy for the Development of Families and Children, Rossana Briceno. The Special Envoy noted the importance of partnership in keeping children in school and fighting the multidimensional poverty that impacts their ability to stay in school. She also highlighted the transition between primary and secondary school as a critical period where many children drop out of the education system due to various factors such as affordability, poverty, under-resourced schools, and lack of support.

Through the Orange Walk Resource Centre, Pathlight aims to provide children with the necessary tools and resources to continue their education and break free from the cycle of poverty. The centre is designed to support students and teachers, ensuring that children have access to quality education and the necessary materials and equipment. It serves as a space for teachers to work, print, and laminate, as well as consult with Pathlight educators on how to use the curriculum provided by the ministry more effectively.

Pathlight International has established teacher educator centres in Belmopan and Belize City, with plans to expand and set up centres in all districts. These centres are made possible through grants and partnerships with organisations such as Rotary International and Rotary Sunrise. The Ministry of Education has also offered space in their district offices to house these teacher education centres.

Pathlight's impact

Pathlight International is a nonprofit organisation that works to empower children in Belize to escape poverty through education. It was founded in 2010 and is based in Pleasanton, California, with an international address in Belize.

Pathlight's work in Belize focuses on providing children with access to quality education and faith-centred after-school programmes, helping them to break free from poverty and reach their potential. The organisation aims to address the issue of generational poverty in Belize, where free education stops after the age of 12, leaving many teenagers at risk of gang recruitment.

Pathlight provides tuition, supplies, tutoring, transportation, and mentoring to its students. The mentoring includes discipleship and Christian character formation, as well as leadership development, life and social skills coaching, and job-readiness training. The organisation also works to develop successful educators, recognising that well-equipped teachers are crucial to student success.

Pathlight has established teacher educator centres in Belmopan and Belize City, with plans to set up more centres in each district. These centres provide teachers with resources, curriculum support, and a space to work and collaborate.

The organisation has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Ministry of Education in Belize, formalising their partnership and leading to the implementation of joint teacher training and literacy development programmes. Pathlight's scholarship model has also been endorsed by the Ministry, as it provides a comprehensive support system for marginalised young people to access education.

Through its work, Pathlight has had a multiplier effect on Belize's development. By educating children, improving teacher education, and supporting school infrastructure, Pathlight contributes to reducing adolescent pregnancy, increasing literacy, and reducing youth recruitment into gangs. The organisation's impact extends beyond the direct beneficiaries of its programmes, with an estimated indirect impact on 27,000 students through the classrooms and schools it supports.

Pathlight's work in Belize has garnered support from various organisations and institutions, including the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology, the Ministry of Human Development, Rotary International, and Indiana Wesleyan University, among others.

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