Bishop Martin High School in Orange Walk Town expects students to enter a very different-looking campus when the school opens for the 2027-2028 academic year.
Ground was broken for the school’s new STEAM Pavilion on Monday. It will house a full science laboratory, a makerspace for engineering and design, and a modern recording studio. It is scheduled to open for the 2027-2028 school year.
Construction is already under way. Principal Angel Leiva says the project will change the face of the school and build on its strong record in science. “Today is a very special occasion. The work has already begun… I am so happy that this project is coming to fruition,” Leiva said.
“What the STEAM pavilion is going to do BMHS is it’s going to transform our school,” he added.
For students, the facility represents more than new infrastructure. BMHS student Juel Neal said it will create opportunities for students to collaborate and develop new skills.
“It represents opportunity, innovation, creativity and possibilities,” Neal said. “It will give us a space to explore new ideas, solve problems, work together and discover talents.”
Minister of State for Education, Culture, Science and Technology Ramon Cervantes called the facility “an investment in you, our students.”
“It will give you, our young people, the opportunity to learn by doing, by experimenting, to create, to innovate, to solve problems, and to turn ideas into meaningful realities,” Cervantes said.
According to Cervantes, the building carries an EDGE-certified design, which he expects to make it more energy efficient and environmentally responsible.
The project is being supported through the Skills for the Future Programme, with funding involving the Government of Belize, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Global Partnership for Education.
