Our destinations: The Mayan ruins at Altun Ha, the Belize Zoo and Caye Caulker, a small island on the Caribbean Coast.
Seeing the children’s eyes light up at the sight of their first time ever seeing Mayan ruins was a delight in itself. Many of them couldn’t believe how the ancient Mayan city was constructed so many years ago, and how it held such spiritual significance among the Mayan people. Visiting the Belize Zoo allowed for an educational and up-close look into the flora and fauna of Belize. Coming within 10 feet of the elusive black jaguar was the highlight for many, as were the toucans and monkeys and other animals that they’ve only read about in books.
After a couple of days travelling on the mainland we ventured towards the coast, arriving on Caye Caulker with a boatload of wide-eyed children who’d never set foot on a sandy beach or had never seen the sea before. We all pitched -in together to set up tents and our camp for the next three days. Camping was also a first-time experience for all of the kids, and as soon as things were neat and tidy, they dove off the dock with masks and snorkels in hand to be mesmerized by the abundance of colorful creatures beneath the surface.
Teachers spoke of the importance of such animals, and how the cycle of life is ever-present in the ocean.
Throughout the week all of the students pitched in to help cook meals, wash dishes, clean clothes and keep thier tents clean — team-building exercises that all made them feel like they were part of one big family. To keep it fun we had three-legged races and waterfights, and an obstacle course (with “dizzy bat” a crowd favorite) where the kids had to run while balancing pots of water on their heads and jumping over benches.
Learning comes in many forms and people learn in many different ways, and each student had their own experiences. We encouraged them to DREAM BIG, and that the world is a vast place with many opportunities available, you just have to look for yourself and find what excites you the most, and then go and get it.
