Ground was broken for two major education projects in the Toledo District on Tuesday. This represents a combined investment of four and a half million dollars in a region that has long been underserved despite consistently producing some of the country’s strongest students.
At Toledo Community College in Punta Gorda, officials broke ground on a $2.5 million STEAM Pavilion that will serve nearly 800 secondary students with modern science laboratories, maker spaces, recording studios, and collaborative learning environments.
The facility, funded by the Government of Belize and the Inter-American Development Bank, is designed to give Toledo students hands-on experience in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.
Minister of Economic Transformation Dr. Osmond Martinez, who also serves as Toledo East’s Area Representative, said the project came directly out of a national skills gap study that identified what Belize’s economy needs and what its education system is not yet delivering.
“Year after year, we have become accustomed to seeing high poverty statistics coming from the south, negative macroeconomic figures painting a picture of deprivation and neglect,” Martinez said. “Yet when you see nationwide exam results or education highlights, the students of the South have always stood out.”
Ministry of Education CEO Dian Maheia offered a direct challenge to students and teachers set to use the new facility.
“All of this will be of no use if you don’t use it,” she said. “If you don’t fill these spaces with your brilliant minds and crazy ideas and your hard questions and positive energy, this will be a wasted opportunity.”
Later the same day, ground was broken in the quiet village of Trio for a $2 million classroom construction project at Trio Government School. The building, co-funded by the Caribbean Development Bank and the Government of Belize, will accommodate approximately 140 students and is designed with hurricane-resistant features so it can double as a community shelter during emergencies. It will also be fully wheelchair accessible, with ramps throughout and accessible bathrooms.
“It’s a picture of inclusion and accessibility because it’s going to be built so that anyone can access. Whether you are in a wheelchair or not. You have a right to get to school. You have a right to be able to use the bathroom when you’re at school,” Maheia said.
Minister Martinez said both projects reflect a broader commitment to ensuring that national development reaches every corner of Belize, not just urban centres.
“The future of Belize includes every district, every village, and every child. For too long, conversations about development have centred on urban areas, yet some of Belize’s greatest potential lies in the south,” he said.
