Send a Child to School

Another year is coming to a close, we have made great strides this year as we continue to grow as a school.  Our population of students continues to grow and our staff is stable and growing professionally.  All teachers in our school now either have a Bachelor's Degree or above or are enrolled in a Bachelor's program.  This is a huge stride forward as Belize's Ministry of Education continues to raise the expectations and standards in education.

The next huge step which needs to be made is to ensure all children have the opportunity to go to school.  Often, parents cannot afford to send their children to school, as a large percentage of parents only work seasonally or cannot find work. Government schools which offer the lowest fees often are few and far between and fill up quickly.  Then, the only option for space is in schools which are not government aided and those schools charge a tuition.  So parents are faced with a huge question, how do I send my child to school? 

Due to this gap in the system, we as a school try to provide some options for these parents with lesser means.  Through programs like this "Send a Child to School" we are able to send another 15 childrem to school.  One day the hope is that every child who needs a seat in school will be provided with the space regardless of the ability to pay.  Only through the continued generosity of people like yourself will this dream become a reality.  We thank you for your past support and look forward to working with you in the future.

Approximately 14% of the students at Ambergris Caye Elementary School are subsidized in one form or another.  Some of our students have individual sponsors who pay the yearly tuition for the student, as the parents cannot afford to send their child to school.  Other students are funded through a scholarship program funded by a non-profit organization.  These students are selected by meeting certain criteria.  First, the student must show academic promise and then there must be a financial need.  These students must also maintain a certain grade point average to remain on scholarship.  

Then, there are other students who, for reasons which do not fit either of these criteria, still need funding or they will not be able to attend school.  Sometimes it is the mere fact there are no other schools which have the space for them, or they may be a student at risk whose parents want the additional guidance provided at ACES, however they cannot afford to send their child.  These and many more reasons are the reasons there is always a need for funding to send children to school at ACES.

Through this GlobalGiving Project, Send a Child to School, you can provide, or even help to provide, an education for a child. Sometimes even a small monthly recurring donation is enough to send another child to school.  Children need an education in order to be successful in life.  Without an education they are sentenced to a life of menial labor, or a life of crime and often incarceration.  What ever you are able to give will help at least one more child receive an education.  

This project is all about providing even one more child with the opportunity to a better life and a better future.  Not everyone is able to provide their children with this opportunity for success and you can be the catalyst, please give another child this chance.