ISIS Belize Proves its Commitment to Serving Belize

San Ignacio, Cayo -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/27/2012 -- The Institute for Sustainable International Studies (ISIS) has partnered with the village of Succotz in the Cayo district of Belize. This effort provides students with an opportunity to learn while doing volunteer work that supports the needs and goals of the village. The Village Council, two primary schools and a high school, and other village organizations identify projects while ISIS finds student groups and interns to assist with those projects.

In early January, 2012, a team of students from Shenandoah University in Virginia, USA, and local students, drafted a strategic plan for the development of eco-tourism in Succotz. The students did an analysis which identified opportunities and issues facing the village in establishing more tourist trade in the village. Suggestions ranged from a highway sign identifying the village to the need for a village website. One theme that emerged from the Shenandoah students' work was that of garbage disposal in the village.

Shortly after the business analysis was completed an intern from SUNY-Cortland, New York program focused on the issue of solid waste management. Working with Friends of Conservation and Development (FCD), the Village Council, government agencies responsible for solid waste management and the FCD Youth Group, the intern surveyed the problem, to come up with some creative and inexpensive ways to begin to address the garbage issue for Succotz. His proposals were presented at a meeting of the local leaders.

The Youth Group is continuing his work by building inexpensive garbage cans by recycling plastic soda bottles and selling the containers to do more work in recycling and waste reduction education. Students from Sacred Heart Junior College, another ISIS and community partner are working on designing a website for the village in addition to supporting the primary and high schools with their IT needs. The website will provide opportunities for primary and high school students to give input into the site content as a learning experience. It also provides role models for continuing their education with the closest junior college.

As part of their commitment to education, a group within the village has started a library in Succotz. Students with ISIS, from Shenandoah University and the University of Toronto, brought books to donate to the library, reflecting the cultures and literature from their area.

In February, the University of Toronto sent 10 students and a professor who focused their time in Belize on the village of Succotz. After an introduction to Belize, Cayo and Succotz, the students explored the issue of youth and nutrition. The group conducted interviews with students from the local primary schools and high school, San Jose Succotz Roman Catholic School, Victorious Nazarene Primary School and Nazarene High School. The visiting students asked the children and teenagers about the food they eat. They also collected a sample of garbage found on the village's football field. The results found that primary students consumed more candy and soft drinks than high school students. Almost all of the students could identify healthy foods like vegetables and fruits. However, only a few reported that they actually consumed vegetables on a daily basis. As one student from the University of Toronto commented, "Getting a chance to speak to the kids at the school on an informal basis was quite eye-opening and rewarding."

The work student groups and interns do in Succotz is given to the village and its organizations so they may benefit from this service and learning. Future student groups will build upon the work of past student groups to serve Succotz' community goals.

For more information visit http://www.ISISBelize.com , or contact Nancy Adamson at nadamson@isisbelize.com, or by phone at 011-501-670-0930.

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ISIS Belize Brings the World Together Through Education

San Ignacio, Cayo -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/03/2012 -- During the "winter" break for colleges and universities in North America, the Institute of Sustainable International Studies hosted a group of students from Belize, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United States. The students took one of three courses: The Business of Eco-tourism, Bones and Stones: The Peoples and Archaeology of Belize or Wildlife of Belize: Biology and Conservation.

This diverse group of students came from Ohio State University, Mississippi State, University of Minnesota Duluth, University of Florida, University of Illinois, Penn State University, Christopher Newport University, Memphis State University, Columbia and Shenandoah University.

Their activities included visits to the Belize Zoo, the Community Baboon Sanctuary, Belize Bird Rescue, Cahal Pech, Caracol and Xuanantunich Maya archaeological sites, and government agencies such as Beltraide, the Belize Tourism Board and the Protected Areas Conservation Trust.

One of the results of their study abroad was a SWOT analysis for the Village of San Jose Succotz, which outlined issues, related to the development of eco-tourism projects for the village. The students' analysis was presented to Village Council and other leaders from Succotz, and sparked a lively debate of how to move forward. An intern working with Friends of Conservation and Development (FCD) on solid waste management issues also made a presentation to the village leaders.

The work of students and interns who visit Belize, benefit Belizean organizations and communities in several ways: through the generation of new ideas, by providing time and effort to carry out locally defined projects and by the donation from ISIS of part of their tuition to support the organizations they visited and worked with.

This cultural exchange of perspectives on wildlife, biology, conservation and history allows for both the students and the residents of Belize to collaborate and provide solutions to issues in such a way where both parties come away with answers that might not have been found otherwise. This goes to show that solutions to social issues are best found through multicultural teamwork, which is the ethos of the Institute of Sustainable International Studies in Belize.

For further information, visit http://www.ISISBelize.com or contact Cynthia Reece at creece@ISISBelize.com.

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ISIS and the University of Belize Partner to Promote Marine Sciences

San Ignacio, Cayo -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/23/2011 -- The Environmental Research Institute (ERI) at the University of Belize and The Institute for Sustainable International Studies (ISIS) signed an agreement of collaboration to promote two marine science courses at the Calabash Caye Research Station.

The Environmental Research Institute (ERI) was established in January 2010 at the University of Belize. Its goal is to address the large gap in local capacity for research and monitoring that exists within Belize. The University of Belize was established as Belize's national university in August 2000. In 2009 the Calabash Caye Field Station was moved under the new ERI of UB to support the mission of marine sciences education, research and monitoring.

Calabash Caye Field Station (CCFS) sits on the 186 mile long Belize Barrier Reef. The field station sits on a 5 acre plot and is about 32 miles from Belize City. Calabash Caye has a dense cover of coconut trees and mature palm forest and is fringed on the lagoon side by red, black and white mangrove species. On the eastern side there is a well-developed fringing reef separated from the shore by shallow seagrass beds. The mangrove, seagrass and reef habitats within the atoll are still relatively health and intact. These ecosystems provide habitat for a number of threatened and endangered species such as American crocodiles, sea turtles, manatees and dolphins. CCFS provides the perfect location for marine science courses.

ISIS will be promoting two summer courses under this agreement: Tropical Marine Ecology is aimed at undergraduate biology, ecology and environmental science students, and the Coral Reef Management and Ecology course is aimed at upper level undergraduate students as well as Master's degree students. Both UB courses are taught by staff from the ERI and Natural Resources Management programs at UB. This exciting partnership makes the rich resources and biodiversity of Belize easily available to international students.

For more information, see http://www.isisbelize.com or contact Nancy Adamson at nadamson@isisbelize.com.

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ISIS Belize Links Lives Through Separation

San Ignacio, Cayo -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/21/2011 -- What do New Mexico State University, Rutgers University, University of Connecticut, University of South Carolina, Mississippi State University, University of Pennsylvania, McGill University, Grand Valley State University, California State University (Monterey Bay), University of Guelph, Washington State University, North Carolina State University, Cornell University, University of Saskatchewan, and Alpena Community College have in common? They have all found the unique, life changing experience that ISIS Belize can provide their students.

Students from these universities and colleges have gathered in Belize to explore issues in animal science. They will explore health, disease, conservation and animal husbandry issues through field experiences, lectures and clinics. The students will assist local veterinarians and experts at the Belize Zoo, Crocland, local farms and ranches, the Community Baboon Sanctuary, the Sarteneja Manatee and Primate Rehabilitation Centre, the Belize Herpetology Centre and many others.

Veterinarians Dr. Edwardo Tesecum, Dr. Isabelle Paquet-Durand, Dr. Kirsten Bubeck and Dr. Emma Gardner will be organizing free spay/neuter clinics in communities in the Cayo and Corozal districts, where students will assist and learn first-hand about the issues facing dogs and cats in Belize. In addition to the spaying/neutering, they will be providing tick and flea medication, and diagnosing various conditions of the animals. They are anticipating treating over 100 animals in four communities.

So what do these 15 universities and colleges have in common - learning, adventure, service, and conservation. Their students will return to classrooms with new insights and skills, a deeper understanding of Belizean culture, a host of new friends and a perspective on life that few get the opportunity to experience.

For more information visit http://www.ISISBelize.com, or contact Nancy Adamson at Nadamson@ISISBelize.com, or by phone at 011-501-668-0930.

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ISIS Belize and Sacred Heart College Join Forces to Provide the Future of Education Abroad

San Ignacio, Cayo -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/30/2011 -- On March 16, 2011, Sacred Heart College (SHC) in San Ignacio, Belize and the Institute for Sustainable International Studies (ISIS) signed an Agreement of Cooperation. This will provide international students with the benefit of earning university credit through a licensed Belizean academic institution. This partnership is hitting the ground running by providing a course in Large Animals and another in wildlife conservation for the summer of 2011, which is the first leg of providing SHC with an international study abroad program.

SHC, established in 1999, is a tertiary institution recognized and licensed by the Government of Belize. SHC has a wide variety of undergraduate programs including Biology, Natural Resource Management, IT, Mayan studies, International Business and Social Justice & Development. The college is currently hosting students from Denmark, and through ISIS, the hope is to expand their international student body. Full information on Sacred Heart Junior College can be found at http://shjc.edu.bz/.

The future of these dynamic institutions holds even more opportunities for international students. ISIS and SHJC are building both semester and summer courses, which will focus on three academic areas: Maya Studies, Development Studies and Tropical Biology and Ecology. Dr. Eve Aird, President of SHC, commented that this new partnership "will allow Sacred Heart College to expand its offerings to Belizean students through international partnerships and visiting international students. We are excited to be moving in this direction." Mr. Jorge Aldana, Dean of the College, remarked, "in fact, this partnership is already working. This summer SHC and ISIS are jointly hosting students from Georgia College and State University as well as Pitt Community College." The motivation to offer students a unique study abroad experience is so apparent that the two institutions began jointly building courses before the ink was dry on the agreement. Just imagine what they can do for you once you are here.

For more information contact: visit http://www.ISISBelize.com, or contact Dr Nancy Adamson, Executive Director of ISIS at Nadamson@ISISBelize.com, or by phone at 011-501-668-0930.

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ISIS Belize signs agreement with the Belize Botanic Gardens

San Ignacio, Cayo -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/11/2011 -- The Institute of Sustainable International Studies Belize (ISIS) and the Belize Botanic Gardens (BBG) have signed an Agreement of Collaboration. The two organizations will work together to provide academic courses, field programs, service-learning opportunities, research and promotion of the services of the Botanic Gardens.

ISIS Belize provides academic and logistical support for educational travel groups as well as offering courses in botany, marine biology, anthropology, indigenous studies, and a variety of other areas. The Belize Botanic Gardens spread over 45 acres of native and exotic plants, and focus on encouraging sustainable agriculture, maintaining conservation collections and engaging in conservation education.

The joint program begins in July 2011 with a course on tropical horticulture, taught by the BBG Garden Director Jon Pixler, a graduate of the Texas A&M horticulture program. Jon Pixler commented, "This is an excellent opportunity to showcase the holdings of the Belize Botanic Gardens and to expand our educational offerings to international students."

This is followed by a course that focuses on natural toxins in the flora and fauna of Belize, taught by Michelle North, of Queen's University, Canada. Students will spend a week at the Belize Botanic Gardens studying plant, food and medicinal pharmacology & toxicology. Michelle North explained that the Belize Botanic Gardens is an ideal site for her course, because of the range of plants available in one location. "This is truly a living lab."

For more information visit http://www.ISISBelilze.com, or contact Nancy Adamson at Nadamson@ISISBelize.com.

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Students from the University of Toronto join ISIS Belize for a cultural tour of Belize

San Ignacio, Cayo -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/08/2011 -- Recently, 13 students from the University of Toronto, escorted by Dr. Richard Lee, professor emeritus and renowned anthropologist, took advantage of the cultural wealth that Belize has to offer. Arranged through the Institute of Sustainable International Studies (ISIS), these students had the opportunity to experience village life on a multi-cultural scale.

The students were from various academic programs, including Aboriginal Studies, Global Health and Culture, and Gender and Equity studies. Facilitated by several of ISIS' Community Associates, the students learned about Garifuna spirituality, cultural drumming and snorkeling along the world's largest barrier reef in the coastal village of Hopkins. Mr. Ted McKoy, a local entrepreneur, engaged the students in a discussion on poverty, development, youth concerning Hopkins specifically, while relating the topics to Belize as a whole.

After Hopkins, the students spent four days in the Mayan village of Laguna, hosted by the Toledo Eco-Tourism Association (TEA). The group explored indigenous politics, land rights issues, sustainable agriculture, and gender roles within modern Maya communities. In addition the students learned about cacao farming, how to make corn tortillas from scratch, visited a local animal sanctuary 'Aquacaliente' and hiked to Laguna cave.

Mr. Pablo Miis and Mrs. Cristina Choc, both from the village of Laguna and activist in the Maya land rights issue, as well as all the residents of Laguna looked after the students like family. Each day the students were treated to traditional Mayan food and its preparation, discussions on the encroaching modern world on the Mayan culture, and providing assistance to the village primary school.

Miona, a U of T student remarked, "This was the best learning experience I have had in my 4 years of undergraduate studies. I was able to see first-hand a lot of the important issues that I studied in my classes, and was able to apply my knowledge to get a better understanding of the issues affecting indigenous communities in Belize." Another student, Sitelle, declared, "This is too good to be school!"

For more information visit http://www.ISISBelilze.com, or contact Nancy Adamson at Nadamson@ISISBelize.com.

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