Itz’at STEAM Academy in Belize, a school that diverges from traditional teaching methods to focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) has adopted a new innovative educational approach to teach their students. Fourteen-year-old Jahzhia Moralez, who previously attended a school with a heavy homework load, found Itz’at’s hands-on, fun learning environment refreshing and aligned with her career aspirations in architecture or veterinary science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Itz’at, which means “wise one” in Maya, was launched in September 2023 as a collaborative effort between MIT and the Belize Ministry of Education, Culture, Science, and Technology. The school aims to prepare 13- to 16-year-olds for sustainable futures, emphasizing inclusivity and support for girls, special needs students, and learners from marginalized backgrounds. It introduces competency-based learning and authentic experiences in its curriculum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pedagogical framework of Itz’at, developed in partnership with MIT’s pK-12 section, focuses on social-emotional and cultural learning, transdisciplinary academics, and community engagement. Vice Principal Christine Coc emphasized the development of empathy, cultural awareness, and critical thinking through this model. Lionel Palacio, a teacher at the academy, noted the emphasis on competence and the acceptability of not having all the answers, moving away from traditional memorization and testing to assess understanding through project-based work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Students like Moralez experience enhanced engagement and a deeper understanding of subjects through this transdisciplinary approach, applying knowledge across different projects and subjects. Community engagement initiatives further connect students with real-world applications of their learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Parents have noticed significant positive changes in their children’s confidence, independence, and academic engagement. The school’s approach not only fosters a supportive learning environment but also aims to strengthen Belize’s industries and career pathways for students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The development of Itz’at STEAM Academy was part of a broader initiative by MIT and the Belize Ministry of Education, funded by the Inter-American Development Bank, to innovate education and build local capacity for ongoing innovation. With plans to expand student capacity and continue enhancing STEAM education in Belize, Itz’at represents a significant step forward in the region’s educational landscape, promising a brighter future for its students.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Itz’at STEAM Academy in Belize, a school that diverges from traditional teaching methods to focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) has adopted a new innovative educational approach to teach their students. Fourteen-year-old Jahzhia Moralez, who previously attended a school with a heavy homework load, found Itz’at’s hands-on, fun learning environment refreshing and […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3706,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"0","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3705","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pbl-around-the-world"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/projectpals.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3705"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/projectpals.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/projectpals.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projectpals.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projectpals.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3705"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/projectpals.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3705\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3707,"href":"https:\/\/projectpals.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3705\/revisions\/3707"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projectpals.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3706"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/projectpals.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3705"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projectpals.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3705"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projectpals.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3705"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}