Blue Teddy Bear Campaign Launches Phase II with Teacher Training Initiative

The Blue Teddy Bear Campaign has launched Phase II of its national child protection initiative in Belize. The new phase expands the campaign’s focus to equip teachers, parents, and students with the necessary knowledge and tools to build safer environments for children.

Today’s training session brought together 60 teachers from Maud Williams High School, Anglican Cathedral College, and Sadie Vernon Technical High School. An earlier session trained 22 educators from other high schools in Belize City.

According to Carla Alvarez, lead consultant for the Blue Teddy Bear Campaign, the training focuses on warning signs and indicators across various forms of harm, including physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, as well as neglect. She explained that participating educators examine practical case studies to determine the best response routes when supporting vulnerable students.

Denroy Tillett, a teacher at Anglican Cathedral College, describes the initiative as timely, adding that society often forgets the challenges young people face at school. He explained that students often require feeding programmes, own a single uniform, or miss school due to transportation issues, noting that these situations frequently stem from underlying neglect or a lack of resources.

By developing these identification skills, the Blue Teddy Bear Campaign aims to enable educators to better reach out, recognise warning signs, and intervene effectively to support young people in need.

The initiative is coordinated as an ongoing partnership between the National Commission for Families and Children (NCFC), UNICEF, the Ministry of Human Development, Family Support and Gender Affairs, and the Office of the Special Envoy for the Development of Families and Children.