Send 175 Students to High School in Belize

Well, it is summer break and here on Caye Caulker, just like all over the world, it is all too short. Very soon Ocean Academy teachers will be back at work, preparing for the new school year.

OA students are currently in the process of applying for financial assistance for the new school year. And your donation helps these students to STAY IN SCHOOL.

One of the unique aspects of Ocean Academy is our Social Enterprise program.

Social Enterprise provides:
1.Real-world learning: Students build their communication, leadership, and entrepreneurial skills in the real-world in a way that is not possible in the classroom.
2.Funding education: Students earn school fees that pay for their education. School credits often pay for all of a students’ fees. These credits may not be redeemed as cash.
3.Earning cash to provide for personal and family needs: Students earn a meaningful wage that supports the student’s and family’s purchases and bills.
4.Building financial literacy / saving: Students save money in bank accounts so
they can learn how to save and budget money for important life goals.
5.Funding OA programs and education: OA developed the Social Enterprise model to “earn instead of ask” to reduce the strain of fundraising and to maintain specialized instruction, OA’s small teacher to student ratio, tutoring,
and unique “buffet of opportunities.” OA’s goal is to earn 50% of the school’s operating budget via Social Enterprise by 2020 so that OA will always be able to educate all of the island’s youth.

Bike with Purpose
Students have an opportunity to earn money via their passion, receive school credits, and act as ambassadors for international visitors. Bike with Purpose trips are currently scheduled on Sundays and Tuesdays from 3:30-5:45 p.m.
Learn Workshop trainings cover skills such as bike repair, first aid, communication skills, island ecology/history and more. Visitors provide written feedback after each trip on student communication and leadership skills. Students start as
unpaid interns going out with experienced student leaders, and then based on a combination of visitor feedback, peer feedback and workshop training, will begin to Earn and Learn.
Earn
Students may earn on average $7+/hour (depends on number of visitors, etc.) which is deposited directly into the student’s bank account so he/she can save for things the student and family need. Students have saved for items such as a guitar, tablet, bike or sixth form by practicing sound money management skills. All students must have a bank account as part of
Financial Literacy in order to participate.
In addition, students receive school credits as a bonus that may be used for OA school fees or other OA educational activities such as field trips or school items such as eligible devices. Kindly note that these school credits are never
available as cash. Any credits remaining at graduation may be applied to a family member’s fees or contributed to an OA legacy that the student chooses.