Stann Creek Students Receive Snapshot Belize Donation

Standard Two and Standard Three students from twelve Catholic schools in the Stann Creek District have each received a copy of the novel Snapshot Belize. The book serves as a guide to tourism in Belize, highlighting the country’s cultural history, wildlife, and natural beauty. The generous donation was made possible by Wil Maheia, Chief Sustainability Officer for Copal Tree Lodge and Farm, as part of the company’s social corporate responsibility to give back to local communities. Valued at approximately eight thousand Belize dollars, the initiative was coordinated with the assistance of Celia Usher and other managers of the Catholic schools in the area. Speaking about the contribution, Maheia expressed optimism about the book’s value for primary school students, noting his hope that one day every primary school student in Belize will have a copy of Snapshot Belize in their hands.

Issani Gutierrez, Principal of Holy Angel Roman Catholic School, welcomed the donation, emphasizing its importance for his upper division students. He explained that recent curriculum changes have shifted the school’s focus more toward global perspectives and how they connect to Belize. Gutierrez described Snapshot Belize as the ideal resource to help educate the next generation of Belizeans about their own country.

Snapshot Belize was written by Nigel Encalada and published with support from Copal Tree Lodge. Last year, Copal Tree donated copies of the book to schools across the Toledo District, continuing its mission to help students learn more about Belize’s rich heritage and foster greater pride in the nation’s natural and cultural resources.