21 Students Head Back to School With a Backpack Full of Books 

Twenty-one students from communities near the Rio Bravo have received a meaningful push towards their academic goals today at the Programme for Belize’s annual Book Scholarship Award Ceremony. 

Executive Director Edilberto Romero said the goal has always extended beyond tuition. “The idea is to give them an opportunity for them to develop a career away from the dependency on the natural resources and with the hope that we build good relationships with the communities and that they support us in the conservation and protection of Rio Bravo,” Romero said. 

Programme for Belize originally covered tuition for students who could not afford high school. When the Government began paying tuition instead, the programme shifted its support toward books.

According to Romero, the approach may soon change once more as schools are increasingly requiring students to have laptops. It’s something that many families cannot easily afford, according to Romero. “So, that’s something we’re going to look for in the future,” he added.