Send 133 Students to High School in Belize

Because of your support, we celebrated our TWELFTH graduating class of 26 students!  Many of whom are the first in their families to graduate.  You, our supporters, have made every step of the way possible.  Thank you!

We also express deep gratitude to our local supporters: Blu Zen, Blue Wave Sounds, and Lotus.

As our senior students were preparing to graduate, other students were busy too. They hosted a Campus Business Expo and during Certificate Week learned skills in art, technology, photography, mangrove restoration and a variety of sports.

Ocean Academy continues to offer innovative educational opportunities during the summer months.  This July, Justin Whitehead and his experienced professional team from Digital Silence will volunteer their time and expertise to lead a Technology Summer Camp.  Topics include Video Editing, Computer Repair, Computer Forensics, Physical Security Systems and Open Source Intelligence for the Real World. We will share stories and photos with you after the Camp.

In our next report we will also share  alumni success stories such as Mercedes, who was one of our very first graduates from Ocean Academy. She received a scholarship and earned her Masters Degree in Environmental Science from the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education in the Netherlands. Other alumni are graduating this year with Associate's Degrees in a range of fields like Psychology, Business Entrepreneurship and Dentistry. Several alumni have created their own small businesses and we are looking forward to sharing all of these with all of you in our next report.

Thank you for believing in our students and the value of investing in their education.  You are truly making an impact. 

Links:

• Visit our website
• Check out our Face Book

This year marks Ocean Academy’s 14th Anniversary as the first high school on Caye Caulker.  Our student body has grown to 160.  When we opened in 2008 one of our hopes was to one day hire our graduates as the teachers and leaders.  That has continued to happen!  Ocean Academy alumni currently work as office staff,  technology assistant and reading mentor.

Covid continues to present challenges, but Ocean Academy continues to step up and meet those challenges.  Students are once again attending classes on campus as they were given the option to return to campus or to remain in virtual classes.  

The Social Enterprise program is getting back on its feet as tourism continues to increase on Caye Caulker.  Students are thrilled to be training to lead bicycle and kayak tours,

With the help of donors like you, Ocean Academy students continue to strive to meet their potential and to follow the path to their best lives.

Links:

• Visit our web site
• Like us on Facebook

With your support, we have a lot to celebrate: 

• 27 students graduated in June of 2021.  Many of these are first-in-their-family to graduate!
• 160 students are enrolled for the 2021-22 school year.  
• 23 students are currently supported with sponsorships (our goal is 115 students).
• 3 students were selected as Central American Youth Ambassadors: Gian, Ayasha, and Nythiria.  They are currently in training with youth leaders from across Central America and the U.S.
• While COVID continues to rise in Belize, O.A. students have been learning online (according to the Ministry of Education guidelines).  We hope to get students to campus soon!  
• Teachers have been testing equipment and strategies for hybrid learning, so we can accommodate students on campus and at home.
• Students are working to build several social enterprises (school-based businesses) so they can contribute to family income.  

Thank you for giving the gift of education and keeping hope alive for Belizean teens during this pandemic!

Links:

• Gratitude Video for You from Students
• Ocean Academy Facebook
• Ocean Academy Website

Dear Friends and Supporters of Ocean Academy, 

Thank you for making the world of difference for our little school in Belize to continue educating the youth of Caye Caulker throughout the pandemic!

THANK YOU for EMPOWERING youth and INSPIRING hope for our island to overcome one of the most difficult years of financial hardship and health challenges we have ever faced. 

Thank you for BELIEVING in the POWER of Education.  Because of YOU: 

• 46 students were funded to stay in school.
• 16 recurring donations came in every month to inspire continued hope.
• More kind-hearted supporters learned about OA when you spread the word.
• Distance learning was made possible through donated laptops, tech equipment, and chargers. 
• Face-to-face classes were made possible through donated materials and funds for hand-washing stations, screened classrooms, and cleaning supplies. 
• Students expanded their skills and passion for reading with books they chose and you donated and carried down. 
• Students focused on learning and parents put food on the table instead of worrying about school fees.
• Faculty and staff immersed themselves into new ways of teaching instead of worrying about school finances.
• Students grew exponentially as they adapted to the new demands of life and learning.
• Primary school students attended weekly classes to prepare for their transition to high school. 

As we celebrate the accomplishments of this school year, we prepare for another year of commitment to universal education so that every child on Caye Caulker has access to a high school education.  YOU are making this vision a reality.  YOU are changing lives.  Thank you.  

Links:

• Visit our web site
• Like us on Facebook
• Follow us on Twitter

Dear Donors, we are so very grateful for your support!
Thank you for your continued partnership. We wish you a very safe, healthy and happy New Year!

Thanks to YOU, our Fall Sponsorship Drive has gotten off to a great start. 
Thanks to YOU, 71 of the 133 Ocean Academy students have received sponsorships for the 2020-2021 school year. 
Thanks to YOU, these students can concentrate on their studies without the stress of how to pay for school fees.

2020 will be a year we never forget. One of challenges we never expected, loss of cherished loved ones, and continued uncertainty of jobs, income, health, and safety. One thing is for certain. The OA family remained intact to support one another, dedicate ourselves to the value of education, and stand firm in hope and preparation for a brighter future. Teachers and administrators worked tirelessly to develop new, engaging methods to teach meaningful skills and content to students at a distance. Counselors and staff dedicated themselves to stay in close contact with students and families in need of extra support and guidance. Volunteers and the entire OA family raised money to continue funding education and sponsorships so that everyone could stay in school. And most importantly, Ocean Academy students have been resilient.

OA students have been truly living the theme they were always taught:
Never give up. They have adapted to new ways of life; new ways of learning; new ways of supporting their families, neighbors, and classmates; and they have grown up in ways that none of the adults had to experience at this age. We have a lot of accomplishments to celebrate as this year closes and wisdom that we have gained that will give us strength for the rest of our lives.

As we enter the second half of the school year, we feel confident that with your support, Ocean Academy students will continue to meet the challenges that lay before them.