An Update on the Itz’at STEAM Academy; 61 Students Enrolled

Dian Maheia

Back in September, classes commenced for the It’zat STEAM Academy, for which the Government of Belize is borrowing fifteen million U.S. dollars from the Inter-American Development Bank to fund. The facility, which is located on the ITVET compound in Belize City, will be completed sometime next year and provides transformative secondary school education for students in science, technology, engineering, arts and maths. It was developed in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. On Wednesday, when the media caught up with Education C.E.O. Dian Maheia, she gave an update on the program.

Dian Maheia, C.E.O., Ministry of Education

“We were blessed on Saturday because the students from the Itz’at school and their families joined us on Saturday morning for the eclipse viewing event. We have sixty-one students at Itz’at and just from with them on Saturday, it was really positive. It was really encouraging to hear how many of them talked and how many of their parents talked about how they are enjoying school. They are learning and they are enjoying learning and you know that’s so important when you’re talking about education.”

Reporter

“When do you estimate the construction of the school will be finished?”

Dian Maheia

“The actual physical construction part will be finished at the end of this month. And then there have been supply chain issues, there have been delivery issues so there’s some things that are still not delivered yet – some furniture and some equipment that will be coming in. But the actual construction part of it will be done. It is really wrapping up now.”