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UT Tyler Receives Grant to Advance the Preparation of Teachers in Belize

November 5, 2020

Media Contact: Beverley Golden
Senior Director of Media Relations
Marketing and Communications
The University of Texas at Tyler
903.566.7303

The University of Texas at Tyler announced that it has been awarded a $241,502 grant from the U.S. Embassy in Belmopan to help strengthen the teacher preparation program in Belize.

UT Tyler is recipient of the 2020 Central America Regional Security Initiative, Economic Support Fund (CARSI ESF) grant to support its project “Addressing the Gaps in Teacher Preparation to Strengthen Primary Education in Marginalized Communities in Belize.”

Dr. Yanira Oliveras-Ortiz, associate professor of education and assistant director of the School of Education, is leading UT Tyler’s efforts in the collaboration.

Working to advance education in both local and global communities, the UT Tyler School of Education entered an agreement with the Belize Ministry of Education in late 2019 to partner in redesigning the Belize school system’s teacher preparation program, including preservice teacher training standards and evaluations.

“The School of Education and the educators of Belize have worked together for several years in research, professional development, study abroad programs and other initiatives,’’ Oliveras-Ortiz said. “We are excited about this new phase in our partnership, which will potentially impact the entire nation of Belize; and we are fortunate to have received the CARSI grant. The funds will help us to provide the support our Belizean colleagues need.’’

The Belize Ministry of Education is working to strengthen primary education throughout the country, especially in remote villages where schools face unique challenges. Teachers in those villages often hold classes in buildings with no electricity and have limited access to teaching materials, professional development and other resources.

Oliveras-Ortiz is currently involved in discussions with the Ministry of Education to determine the school system’s needs for preservice teacher training and to implement a plan to enhance the programs. As part of the plan, UT Tyler will virtually train field supervisors on best practices for coaching preservice teachers during their teaching experiences in schools.

“Preservice supervision training will be one step toward redesigning the school system’s entire teacher preparation program,’’ she said. “Our overall goal is to build the capacity of Belize educators so they can ultimately lead instructional changes in their schools.’’

The University’s involvement in Belize began more than 10 years ago through participation in Teachers for a Better Belize (TFABB), which brings together educators from North America and Belize to improve preschool and primary education in Belize’s Toledo district.

UT Tyler is an institutional member of the Consortium for Belize Educational Cooperation (COBEC), which works to advance higher education in Belize by establishing connections between U.S. and Belize educators.

In July, the University hosted COBEC’s annual summer conference, which drew about 150 participants from both countries. Themed “Partnerships: Learning and Service for High-Quality Education,’’ the event was moved to an online format due to COVID-19.

The School of Education’s affiliation with Belize also has created travel-study opportunities for UT Tyler education students. During visits to the country in 2019, undergraduate students modeled small group instruction for teachers in remote villages of Southern Belize, and graduate students conducted research about educational leadership issues in rural communities.

A member of the prestigious UT System, The University of Texas at Tyler focuses on student success and innovative research in the more than 80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs offered to nearly 10,000 students. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News and World Report as a national university and top public university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.