Teachers Trained to Bring Environmental Education Into Classrooms

Primary school teachers across Belize are being trained on pollution, hazardous chemicals, and environmental protection as the Department of the Environment works to strengthen environmental education in schools. The six-day workshop, being held in partnership with the Ministry of Education, is designed to give teachers the knowledge and tools they need to help students understand environmental issues and make responsible choices from an early age. The training targets teachers from Standard Four to Standard Six classrooms and is being carried out in each district across the country. The first session was held today at E.P. Yorke High School in Belize City, where teachers learned about the effects of pollution, the safe handling of hazardous chemicals, and ways to include environmental lessons in their classrooms. The workshop forms part of the Department’s continued efforts to promote environmental responsibility, including the National Anti-Littering Campaign launched in January 2025. The campaign encourages Belizeans to practice proper waste disposal and take greater responsibility in keeping their communities clean. The training continues tomorrow in the Cayo District as the Department moves forward with its district-by-district sessions. Jenelle Roberts, Environmental Technician at the Department of the Environment, says the partnership with the Ministry of Education is helping to create greater environmental awareness among students through their teachers.

Jenelle Roberts, Environmental Technician, DOE: “So far it’s going so well. The participants have been very receptive. Right now they’re just doing a group discussion on what they believe are sources of pollution and I hope that they will take away proper disposal methods after this workshop and that they will also follow the slogan, “Our Belize, Our Responsibility, Bin It.” We’re hoping that they not only take it to their schools but also to their classrooms where they will then practice proper disposal methods and also raise awareness on ways to reduce our carbon footprint and reduce pollution overall in Belize.”

One of the teachers taking part in the training is Rozeta Mossiah, a teacher at Stella Maris Primary School. She says the information gained from the workshop will help her better educate students about protecting the environment and understanding the impact of their actions.

Rozeta Mossiah, Stella Maris Primary School: “What I will take back from this workshop today is that even though we practice from day to day these safety tips are properly disposed of for garbage. We practice it at school but the students do not venture off at home and do it at home or in the environment as much. So I will educate my students and other people in my environment, being that I live in the village and in the city, to properly dispose of their garbage, to not have a lot of environmental hazard around our environment. For example, we have Ms. Earth. Big up to Ms. Kendalel from Burrell Boom she always implements properly disposing of our garbage. Ms. Kendale Morgan big up to you and we will continue to fight the fight for proper disposal of our garbage. So the teachers can take back with them, take back into their community where they live to properly dispose of garbage not only in the school but in our community as well.”

The Department of the Environment says the six-day workshop will continue in the remaining districts as part of its efforts to strengthen environmental education throughout Belize