50% of Belize’s 300,000 population are under 20
There is less than 60% enrollment in secondary school (middle school/high school) mainly due to financial barriers.
Only 35% of 5,000 teachers are qualified
Less than 35 percent of Belizean teachers have formal training ’ teachers at a minimum must have graduated from primary school.
$2,200 is the median family income in Belize
The 2010 Poverty Assessment shows that more than 4 out of 10 people in Belize live in poverty. The median annual income is $2,200 and secondary tuition alone costs on average $500 in addition to uniforms and school supplies.
$500 High school tuition
$500 High school uniform and books
$750 College tuition
$500 College books
Day camps are held at various schools in Belize City, with more nearly 5,000 children attending since 2008. PwC partners, principals, staff and interns as well as retired partners, teach interactive lessons.
The program includes breaks for activity time outside, including educational games on Project H learning landscape playgrounds.
2,520 School supplies (lbs) in 2008
8,542 School supplies (lbs) in 2009
3,968 School supplies (lbs) in 2010
7,021 School supplies (lbs) in 2011
2,600 School supplies (lbs) in 2012
5,511 School supplies (lbs) in 2013
This program provides scholarships to students who have demonstrated excellence in the classroom and in extracurricular activities but don’t have the financial means necessary to continue their education at the secondary level. During the on-site program, PwC participants spend three intensive days with the students, focusing on financial literacy, entrepreneurship, career preparation and leadership.
More than 765 scholarships have been awarded since 2008
$270,000 has been contributed to fund secondary education
Project Belize is about making a lasting impact. This may be most clear in our work with scores of teachers and principals. Teachers receive a fully developed and customizable financial literacy curriculum, enhanced by the opportunity to refine their teaching and technology skills. Principals work side-by-side with PwC staff to learn about finance, bring new concepts to life and find best practices. Along the way, PwC leaders share insights on personal goal setting, making a difference, and leading others.
407 Teachers in teacher training since 2008
435 Teachers have incorporated financial literacy into their classrooms since 2008
In alignment with PwC’s commitment to environmental sustainability and our belief in learning through play, educational playgrounds were built by PwC participants at select schools. Repurposed materials, such as bus tires, are used to create a learning space through which hundreds of educational games can be taught while children enjoy time outside. PwC now provides funding to Belize City workers to continue to build these resources for the students attending the schools in which we teach financial literacy to provide a learning tool for the school children to enjoy for years.
6 Sustainable playgrounds built in 2011
6 Sustainable playgrounds built in 2012
4 Sustainable playgrounds built in 2013
Leadership is a defining theme of Project Belize. It extends well beyond the children and educators who commit to making a difference and helping others. The opportunity to impact the educational landscape of Belize is also an opportunity to develop PwC leaders. Project Belize puts our people in an environment far from their everyday life. It calls upon the best of their agility, creativity, and collaboration to make a difference in a very short time. Where's the evidence? Project Belize alumni say it is one of their most valued experiences at PwC.
140 PwC participants in 2008
100s of virtual PwC participants in 2009
100s of virtual PwC participants in 2010
200 PwC participants in 2011
400 PwC participants in 2012
400 PwC participants in 2013
Financial literacy is the foundation of economic development and the growth element in dynamic social change. Building on this foundation of financial literacy, PwC professionals and interns further enhance education and employment opportunities by accompanying the youth of Belize through serious social challenges, serving as mentors, providing teacher education, offering need-based scholarships, inspiring leadership, and fostering a base for job creation and entrepreneurship. These are the keys to a thriving Belize.
4 Schools in 2008
10 Schools in 2011
28 Schools in 2012
30 Schools in 2013
34 Schools in 2014
800 Students in 2008
797 Students in 2011
1,500 Students in 2012
1,510 Students in 2013
1,853 Students in 2014
90 Parents in 2012
81 Parents in 2013
Since 2008, PwC has sent partners, principals, staff, and interns to teach financial literacy in Belize. Project Belize is part of an innovative program designed to solve social and economic challenges in developing countries by integrating financial literacy and entrepreneurship into the public school curriculum.
Since its inception, we have contributed 30,000 pounds of school supplies, awarded approximately 765 high school equivalent scholarships so these students can continue their education, and delivered our financial literacy curriculum to 6,412 students with the help of 1,609 talented and enthusiastic PwC interns, partners, and staff.