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Academic Integration Among College Students with Disabilities and the Effect of Time to Program Completion

/in /by

by Toby Tomlinson Baker

 Abstract

It is the researcher’s working theory that three variables affect the academic integration of students with disabilities (SWD) and will predict how the variables contribute to the amount of time of the completion of SWDs to complete college programs. While there are other variables of academic integration, three have been determined to have the most effect on the time to complete college, including time to completion, disability status and academic integration (Clark, Middleton, Nguyen, & Zwick, 2014). It is noted that there are two important integration concepts: academic and social integration, which are associated, yet different. This study examines the relationship between academic integration, as created by Vincent Tinto (Clark et al., 2014) and time to completion among SWDs. While many SWDs complete undergraduate degree programs and go on to Masters and Doctoral level programs, including law school, which could justifiably take longer to complete, this study focuses solely on SWDs in undergraduate degree programs with a focus to earn Associate or Bachelor of Arts degrees. When the researcher examines secondary data, it is predicted that those who exhibit persistence, as described by Tinto, will complete their degrees in fewer years than those who did not meet the criteria for academic integration (Clark et al., 2014).

 

Introduction

Academic integration among college students with disabilities (SWD) is affected by significant factors, which include each student’s disability status and the effect of time to program completion. There are two types of integration; academic and social, which have been created and developed by Tinto (Chapman & Pascarella, 1983). Tinto points out that student integration into a college or institution can occur along two dimensions; the first, academic integration which occurs when students become attached to the intellectual life of the college, while social integration occurs when students create relationships and connections outside of the classroom (Chapman & Pascarella, 1983). These two concepts, though analytically distinct, interact with and enhance one another. Furthermore, while students must be immersed into the institution along both elements to increase their likelihood of persistence, they need not be equally integrated along the two (Chapman & Pascarella, 1983). Additionally. Tinto justifies that there are both formal and informal systems within institutions that can motivate integration and persistence.

The elements of academic integration greatly contribute to the overall academic success of college students with learning disabilities, as they directly impact the amount of time spent in an academic program of study (Brinckerhoff & And, 1992). A Specific Learning Disability (SLD) is defined as a condition giving rise to difficulties in acquiring knowledge and skills to the level expected of those of the same age, especially when not associated with a physical handicap (Department of Defense Education Activity, n.d.). Since learning disabilities are directly linked to cognitive ability and acquiring knowledge, students who have disabilities often demonstrate delays in academic processing (Wei, Christiano, Yu, Wagner, & Spiker, 2015). Moreover, growth trajectories among this population show that reaching academic goals takes a longer amount of time to achieve, interfering with the ability to become upwardly mobile in society (Wei et al., 2015).

Review of Relevant Literature

College SWDs who demonstrate academic integration by adamantly seeking and receiving accommodations and counseling, ultimately have a quicker completion rate in their academic programs (Lester & Nusbaum 2017). Furthermore, since SWDs may need additional time to complete academic tasks, it follows that their entire program may take a longer amount of time to complete. Colleges and universities should increase focus and attention to details of both academic and social programs, to ensure that the overall experience for the SWDs is merged (Korinek & Popp, 1997). Moreover, by finding a college or institution with characteristics that strengthen the student’s overall college experience with suitable programs, educators are better equipped to meet each student’s academic and social needs (Chapman & Pascarella, 1983). Based on Tinto’s model, by influencing each student’s experience with on-campus academic and social integration, the commitment level of these students to graduate from college is heightened (Chapman & Pascarella, 1983).

The academic commitment of SWD’s is needed throughout their time spent in a college program. Borglum and Kubala (2000) studied college SWD’s and found that more than half of them intended to spend up to four years at a college and spent 10 hours per week studying for their courses (Borglum & Kubala, 2000). These 10 hours are in addition to the variables which the researcher has targeted. Lester and Nusbaum (2017) confirm that SLD’s in higher education often exhibit greater levels of academic activity in order to overcome adversity, thus displaying intense fervor. Academic and social integration have been demonstrated to increase student’s satisfaction in college, academic growth and personal development (Stage, 1989).

Educational Training

Since there are academic barriers in college which hinder those with disabilities, it is pivotal to provide meaningful support, or scaffolding, in the critical areas of their academic needs (Jorgensen, Budd, Fichten, Nguyen & Havel, 2018). College students with disabilities need to recognize that there are challenges presented by the educational system; therefore, they need a plan to address these challenges and be proactive in overcoming such barriers (Pallisera, Fullana, Puyalto, & Vila, 2016). SWD’s are entering college and participating in higher education at a higher rate (Cawthon & Cole, 2010). These factors inhibit many college SWD’s’ ability to access the proper assistance which they need to succeed in college. Student advocacy and active engagement in receiving tutoring and accommodations should be monitored by adults assisting these students, but mainly by the students themselves. Educators, parents, and counselors share a responsibility to educate all students equally by law (Rein, 2018).

Tinto created the Academic and Social integration framework which has been utilized to measure student persistence in college (Mannan, 2007). It is affirmed that both academic and social integration should merge for SWDs to be successful and complete a college program. Yet, if one of these types of integration, academic or social, overpowers the other, it has been proven that the stronger type will compensate for the more fragile type of integration (Mannan, 2007). Since Tinto’s model has been implemented, colleges have increased student support services. These on-campus support services may be academic or social services, intentionally provided by these colleges to increase student persistence, with the intention of increasing student awareness and use. Questions arise regarding the structure and utility of these academic and social services, particularly if they lack demonstration of effectiveness among SWDs (Clark et al., 2014).

Academic Performance

As demonstrated in (Wagner, And, & SRI International 1993; West Chester University, 2018; Wilczenski & Gillespie-Silver, 1992), academic performance was examined between SWD’s who entered college programs compared with the performance and progress of their nondisabled peers. The link between the direct focus of each student’s academic subjects and additional support, including tutoring and teacher advisory, on each student’s specific area of academic need, results in evidence of student retention, higher tests scores, and a higher GPA (DuPaul, Pinho et al., 2017).  Certain SWDs may need an even greater amount of time during tutoring and advisory to exhibit retention of academic material; therefore, students with learning disabilities may extend beyond the designated minutes in this study. For example, perhaps a student with a learning disability needs six hours of tutoring, rather than a strict limit of three hours before they understand a topic or academic concept. There is a possibility that SWDs must forfeit time in other areas of their lives to maximize their own academic opportunity (DuPaul, Pinho et al., 2017). This concept is quite contrary to Tinto’s model, overall process and social development theory (Clark et al., 2014). Moreover, each SWD has his or her own trajectory and developmental path in order to reach the goal of graduation or completion of their program (DuPaul, Pinho et al., 2017).

Shaw and And (1989) and Shokoohi-Yekta and Kavale (1994) examined performance levels of SWD and their nondisabled peers, with a focus on math scores, particularly college entrance examinations such as the American College Testing exam, (ACT). SWD’s earned lower test scores in academic core subjects (Shokoohi-Yekta &Kavale, 1994). Jorgensen et al. (2003) and Lamberg (2012) focus their studies on the results and graduation rates of students with learning disabilities which were similar to those students without learning disabilities. Students who attended to academic tasks within their program and received appropriate assistance throughout their years in the program demonstrated as much success as their nondisabled peers (Jorgensen et al., 2003; Lamberg, 2012). Resulting from this type of academic integration is that college students with learning disabilities exhibit strict attention to academic tasks and are receptive and unwavering in receiving assistance and accommodations, in order to demonstrate their ability and progress toward graduation. These measures aid in reducing or even eliminating delayed graduation (Hakkarainen, Holopainen, & Savolainen, 2016).

In a study by DuPaul, Dahlstrom-Hakki et al., (2017), the academic progress of students with learning disabilities and ADHD was followed during a five-year period. It was found that of all of the SWD’s on campus who received academic support services, the final grades and GPA’s of students with ADHD actually surpassed those with other types of learning disabilities. By strategically targeting each student’s specific area of academic need, there is a significant probability that their academic goals will be met (DuPaul, Dahlstrom-Hakki et al., 2017).  It is noted that this study’s particular focus is not specifically targeted on the higher GPA of college students with learning disabilities, even though it may be an indirect result of the study.

During a transition to college, academic barriers can impede many students with learning disabilities’ capability to flourish, or even to perform. Brinckerhoff and And (1992) suggest transitioning skills and appropriate academic accommodations needed for SWDs and suggest approaches to gain access, acceptable college preparation and programs to assist and support these students. Cawthon and Cole (2010) have stressed the importance of checklists and accommodations during college testing, particularly prior to and during the transition to college. Without these academic supports, students may not fully master and demonstrate performance at their full capacity (Cawthon & Cole, 2010).

Challenges that Affect Academic Integration

There are additional aspects to consider when measuring time to completion in relation to SWDs. These students’ individual disabilities affect each of their academic needs, requiring more attention, assistance, and direct explicit instruction, which ultimately results in taking more time to complete (Hurks & van Loosbroek, 2014). This includes SWDs who may need to drop a class in order to have more time available to focus on the remaining three courses. The researcher takes into account that even though the level of academic material covered in each of the courses may be difficult for the SWDs, their level of academic integration is dependent on their ability to overcome adversity. It is acknowledged that SWDs can participate and make up dropped classes during off-track semester coursework terms, such as summer terms.

Current Statistics and Graduation Rate

Graduation is the ultimate goal of SWDs. A recent study compared two groups of college students with disabilities. The group of students who had just learning disabilities had more intent to graduate than the group with other disabilities (Jorgensen, Budd, Fichten, & Havel, 2018).  Jorgensen and her colleagues (2018) demonstrated how, even though the needs and accommodations of the students with learning disabilities vary, this population of students with learning disabilities demonstrated proactive measures towards graduating, such as choosing a major, enrolling in and for classes consistently, attending classes, advocating to professors and advisors, and actively registering for disability services (Jorgensen et al., 2018). These findings align with the researcher’s thesis and hypothesis since they demonstrate this population’s success in persevering toward completing college in a timely manner.

According to Troiano, Liefeld, and Trachtenberg (2010), 68% of those students who participated consistently in the services of the Learning Resource Center were more likely to graduate from the college when compared to those who did not. This evidence confirms how effective academic support and resource centers are in the success of SWDs. In this study based on attendance and graduation rates, it was predicted that SWDs who actively attended the academic support center had higher overall grade point averages and higher rates of graduation (Troiano et al., 2010). Even though there is evidence of betterment in this population, there are still factors regarding graduation which need to be addressed. Recommendations include minimizing the fear of stigmatization, engaging in stress-reducing activities and adopting a model where accommodations are based on students’ unique needs rather than their diagnoses (Jorgensen et al., 2018). The uncertainty of post-graduation inhibits students’ success and personal contribution to the world. College students with disabilities and their families expressed concern of their possible inability to be successful in future jobs and careers, to live independently, and to be able to contribute to society as a purposeful member (Pallisera et al., 2016). SWDs who obtain a college degree improve employment outcomes and overall quality of life (Mamiseishvili & Koch, 2011).

Social Integration

Gerdes & Mallinckrodt (1994) base their study on SWDs who leave college or exit college early, known as “Leavers” and compare their reasons for leaving with those who remain on college campuses, known as “Persisters.” These two groups represent SWDs who are successful or able to continue in their studies, versus those SWDs who choose to leave college and universities due to negative experiences or face internal or external factors. The college campus and university environment, particularly academic and social support services, governs the outcome of whether an SWD becomes a “leaver” or a “persister” (Gerdes & Mallinckrodt,1994). This affects the outcome of the amount of time SWDs show in relation to time to completion. Bers and Smith (1991) examine how the university environment contributes to the steady persistence of SWDs. Academic and social integration are strong motivators for SWDs to persist at a university. Concepts of academic and social integration suggest that a student’s decisions to stay or leave an institution are influenced by the level of connection that they have developed with the institution. When SWDs evaluate their reasons for leaving, they should revisit their initial connection to the university. Questions regarding the student’s level of intent to persist in the college program should be carefully considered. If SWDs are demonstrating academic and social success at a university, initial motivators should be reinforced to spark further interest in attendance (Bers & Smith, 1991).

Significance of the Study

The significance of this study is that it will add to the literature concerning effective measures to foster success at the college level for SWDs who have been left to drift in college. Moreover, SWDs must accept a certain amount of self-responsibility by utilizing the supports that are in place and taking advantage of them. The concept of academic integration greatly impacts SWDs through enhancement of their completion time of college programs. It is the researcher’s hope to positively influence SWDs to enroll and attend college, graduate and advance toward higher education (Cawthon & Cole, 2010).  The population of students should not be deterred from the prospect of academics, simply as a result of their disability (Cawthon & Cole, 2010). This study stimulates further research and contributes by determining the cumulative effect of academic integration or whether any of the factors of academic integration has more weight in the outcome of completing a college degree in a timely manner.

Areas of Further Research/Empirical Research Questions

Research in special education, particularly in the area of college SWDs, demands more attention. The scarcity of collected data corroborates the necessity for further study. The apparent gaps in professional literature regarding college students with learning disabilities signify how there are still questions unanswered. Further questions could be researched as individual topics. The following empirical research questions may be addressed:

  • Does medication contribute to success in college completion in relation to time?
  • Do students with disabilities demonstrate higher social integration as opposed to academic integration?
  • Does transferring from community college after two years of attendance to a four-school college affect the academic progress towards completion?
  • Does the award of scholarships (academic, sports, arts), in conjunction with time in a specific academic program influence academic progress towards completion of a four-year program for students with disabilities?

Research Methodology and Design

The Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS) Longitudinal Study

The researcher will utilize available data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES, 2018) database to evaluate the academic progress of SWDs on a national level. Specifically, the researcher will utilize the Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS) Longitudinal Study (NCES, n.d.). Moreover, BPS follows students who are enrolled in their first year of postsecondary education and collects data on the various activity of their programs, the transition to employment, demographic characteristics and student changes overtime (Hurst & Smerdon, 2000).

Academic Integration, which is tested, valid, and an already existing variable, and time to completion among SWD’s. The Dependent Variable (DV) is time to completion and this study aims to perform a correlation, and regression. Both of these statistical techniques require a linear, continuously measured dependent variable. The Independent variables are disability status and academic integration and there is an interaction between these two variables. Academic integration will be measured in a 4-items scale as a continuous variable (Mamiseishvili & Koch, 2011), and disability status is a categorical variable with six categories (learning, orthopedic, other, visual, hearing, and speech) (Hurst, 2000). The theoretical model is based on previous research which is explained in the literature review. For instance, DaDeppo (2009) investigated the academic integration impact on students with learning disabilities (DaDeppo, 2009). Moreover, the creator of Academic Integration, Tinto (Mannan, 2007) examines the two main types of integration: academic and social. As demonstrated by the emergence of intellectual growth and development, in conjunction with social relationships and bonds among collegiate groups, SWD’s experience academic and social integration (Mamiseishvili & Koch, 2011). Tinto’s created theory and model further explain how formal and informal methods of integration exist in the college arena.

Hypothesis

A Linear Regression model also called a regression, will be utilized to analyze the data (Privitera, 2017).  It is predicted that there is a positive correlation between a student’s academic integration, disability status, and time of completing school. After gathering data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to find the correlation coefficient of the linear regression. The prediction of the value of the outcome variable which is the time of completion will be determined by calculating the slope of the linear model. Further, the researcher will determine the possible correlation between outcome and predictor variables.  The researcher will compute the coefficient of the regression line (Privitera, 2017). The value of these variables is to be determined and known once the study is carried out. The number of predictors will be included in the linear model of this study must be verified. For one predictor variable, researchers intend to use a linear regression. Yet, for two or more predictor variables, the researcher intends to use multiple regression (Privitera, 2017). For this study, since there are two predictors the best statistical model is a multiple regression model.

The predicted multiple linear model for this study is as follows:

In this linear model, there are two predictors which are located on the right side of the equation. One is entitled “academic integration” and the other is entitled “disability status,” which is shown by “ ” in this equation. The outcome of this linear model is “months to complete,” which is measured by the amount of time it takes a student with disabilities to complete an academic college program.

The researcher will determine the slope of the linear model ( ,  ) through analysis of the regression model to predict the value of outcome variable ( ) after discovering the predictors (  and ). In other words, if the researcher finds a correlation between each of the predictors and the outcome, she will continue her analysis to determine the exact values of ,  to determine the unknown values in the linear model. This potential model can help school administrators to predict the year of completion for each student with learning disabilities through measuring their perseverance.

Multiple Linear Regression

Upon examining the collected data, the researcher will test the hypothesis of the research.  If this were the correlation between the three variables of this study, then the researcher will delve into the collected data to discover the Pearson Correlation coefficient of the regression line. Furthermore, the linear model explains the relationship between the dependent variable the independent variable for this research (Privitera, 2017). The researcher will utilize the multiple linear regression to find the linear relationship between predictors and outcome. Since the outcome is a continuous variable measured in months, and the predictors are categorical variables, the best statistical model to analyze the data will be in a linear regression analysis.

Data Analysis

Based on the researcher’s hypothesis, the data will be a Multiple linear regression which investigates the linear relationship between the three variables of the research. The Multiple linear regression model demonstrates how the time of completing college is related to academic integration and disability status.  These methods were chosen because the researcher is interested in predicting the dependent variable (the year of completion of a college program) with knowing the academic integration of each SWD.  Since this study hinges on simply three variables, it follows logic to employ the Multiple Linear Regression model. The researcher plans on examining data to test the hypothesis.

The first step after gathering data from NCES will be entering data into a spreadsheet to define the variables of the research, which will be calculated by adding up three independent variables: academic integration, time to completion, and each student’s disability status. The next step is to find the correlation between these two variables. Upon conducting the correlation analysis, the researcher will determine the correlation coefficient of the research variables. Upon discovering the positive or negative significant correlation between the variables, the data will be analyzed.  More analysis will be done to determine the multiple linear relationship between the three variables. Upon finding a protentional linear regression line, the researcher would estimate the coefficient, and recommendations will be made to school administrators and parents. This facilitates the path towards timely graduation for students with disabilities. Since the scope of this study is a correlational and a nonexperimental study, there are no participants needed to complete this research. The IRB regulations and intervention are immaterial, as are the experiences of participants and they are not manipulated. Secondary data will be examined and implemented for this study, without the primary intervention of the researcher. The researcher is observing and examining the past behavior of participants through the NCES database.

Conclusion

Although students with disabilities have cognitive processing delays (Wei et al., 2015), by incorporating academic integration based on Tinto’s model (Clark et al., 2014), this population can flourish in college and other academic and social settings, thus minimizing their time to completion and maximizing their academic growth and social development.

SWDs have difficulties with academic integration, particularly with academics, upon graduating from high school and entering a college setting, as the transition is taxing. Even taking into consideration their growth trajectories (longer period of time to complete academic tasks and plans), this specific population needs academic and social integration in order to achieve their academic goals successfully. As academic and social integration influence time of program completion, often with measures such as tutoring, university programs, additional assistance, guidance, and counseling, SWDs will be able to complete college programs in a timely manner. SWDs demonstrate a desire to adequately contribute to society and become upwardly mobile along-side their nondisabled peers (Wei et al., 2015). Academic and social integration aids in this process by reducing anxiety and fear, as it allows students with disabilities to demonstrate their abilities, complete competitive academic college programs, and allows them to have control over their future. While the actual analysis has yet to be performed, it is expected that SWDs who exhibited higher levels of academic integration, will have completed their postsecondary programs, more rapidly relative to their peers with lower levels of academic and social integration.

The academic integration examined throughout this study adds strength to the current research. SWDs need to have academic and social integration in order to endure these aspects of their college experience. Moreover, these students will complete the programs allowing them to enter the workforce and contribute to society within a satisfactory timeframe. Even though each SWDs have different trajectories and different academic and social needs, these SWDs may have the ability to finish college programs. In a society where having a college degree often measures success, SWDs will have the chance to demonstrate success in an equal manner as those without disabilities. This success will be comparable with their nondisabled peers, thus making SWDs competitive in the job market and in an equal position of power.

 

 

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Supporting the Maya Children of Tumul K’in in Toledo, Belize

/in /by

by Juanatano Cano

 

Introduction

The Belize trip of summer 2018 opened the door to me to a different leadership experience. This experience allowed me to find a high school, Tumul K’in, in the District of Toledo, Belize. Tumul K’in is a co-ed high school that prepares Maya youth to succeed in a modern world while preserving their Maya identity. During my visit to the high school, I had the opportunity to interact with students, parents, teachers, and school administrators. Also, after watching a documentary called, “The Forgotten District,” this made me realize that indeed there is urgency in preparing the children in this district and in making sure that they have the 21st century skills to compete for jobs. However, preparing Maya children in the district of Toledo with 21s century skills does not mean that children should give up their beautiful culture and language.

Purpose:

This paper will briefly introduce the history of the Maya and will discuss how to help the Maya children in the District of Toledo. Also, it will give some successful examples of how Tumul K’in empowers the Yucatec, Mopan, and Ke’kchi students through education supported by their own Maya languages and cultures while preparing them to start their own businesses or pursue higher education. Furthermore, the paper will discuss some economic policies appropriate in helping to end poverty and will give some recommendations on how to improve the quality of life of the Maya people living in the district of Toledo.

History

To understand the Maya people in Belize, it is important to revisit their history. The history of the Maya civilization is best known for its Maya Temples (also known as Mayan Ruins) from Southern Mexico to Central America such as Chichen Itza, Copan, Tikal, etc. These temples are a testimony of a great civilization in the history of humankind.  According to Suter and Buell (2016), the Mayas were more progressive than any other civilization in this time period and advanced far beyond their own personal needs, in fact the scientific work and art of the Maya have made a lasting impression on the history of humankind. Also, Suter and Buell (2016) state that the calendar system the Mayas invented allowed them to plot time for the next 400 million years and predict occurrences such as the movements of the planets and the eclipses of the sun and the moon to the nearest second. They calculated the days in the year to add up to 365.2420 days compared to our actual value of 365.2522. Furthermore, Suter and Buell (2016) describe that the Maya number system allowed them to make sums up into the millions and comprehend the concept of the zero ahead of any other culture. These scientific works and predictions are certainly testaments of an advanced great civilization. But, what exactly happened to these Maya scientists? What led to their extinction? Suter and Buell (2016) explain that several speculations have been made as to what caused the collapse of the Classical Maya civilization (before 900 AD) though discrepancies have been found in each hypothesis. For example, some people have tried to blame disease but epidemics such as malaria and yellow fever were only introduced with the Spanish. Others criticize the Maya agriculture procedure of cutting and burning the forest and suggest a lack of food as the reason for the culture’s end. But good soil fertility found at one of the first to stop functioning helps to refute this explanation. Others agree that whatever caused the extinction still remains a mystery. Nevertheless, what is best known and recorded about the history of the Maya is that a rapid decline of the Maya happened when Europeans arrived in the 16th Century. According to Eleazar (2013), when the Spaniards conquered Maya civilization, the civilization declined faster. The Maya people were dispossessed of their lands and forced to work in cocoa plantations and other parts of the colonial economy. Consequently, Eleazar (2013), states that millions of Maya people are still striving, living and surviving among the harshness of these contemporary days. They are living in Belize, Mexico, and Guatemala.

In the case of the Mayas in Belize, according to Bridgewater (2012), long before Europeans the forest of Belize was home to the sophisticated and culturally advanced Maya civilization. Also, according to the Maya Atlas, during the conquest, many of the Mayas went on hiding in remote mountains and were not conquered (Toledo Maya Cultural Council, 1997).  The forty-two Ke’kchi and Mopan Maya communities in Southern Belize created the Maya Atlas. The Atlas serves as a window to both the ancient and modern Maya world; it appeals to people interested in indigenous rights, environmental issues, Latin America, arts, ethnography, traditional knowledge, and community-based conservation. The Atlas states that the Mayas who fled into the interior to take refuge in the Maya mountain range continue unique Maya practices; they refused to be Christianized. Hence, they continue to use the Maya temples for religious purposes and the temples are a testimony to their connection with the past. Currently, both the Ke’kchi and Mopan continue to look up to these unconverted Mayas. Also, according to the Toledo Maya Cultural Council and the Toledo Alcaldes Association some of the Mayas speak to their leaders through prayers and incense burning. These Maya leaders are considered to be the caretakers of wild animals. According to Penados (2017), the Alcalde system has played a role in efforts to overcome the effects of colonization and exclusion. They revitalize their communities and care for Maya ways of knowing and being in Belize

Problem:

According to the Inter-American Development Bank (2013), Children in rural areas have limited access to secondary education. The urban-rural gap in primary schools has remained largely constant at two percentage points over the last decade. In 2009, 93 percent of primary-aged children in urban areas attended school, compared with 91 percent in rural areas. The gap is much more pronounced at the secondary level. In 2009, while five in ten students living in urban areas were enrolled in secondary schools, only three in ten residing in rural areas were attending school. Furthermore, the Inter-American Development Bank (2013) states that at all education levels, attendance of Maya children (Yucatec, Mopan, and Ke’kchi) is lower than children from other ethnic groups. The gap is pronounced at the secondary level, where approximately 40 percent of Mestizo, Maya, and Garifuna children attend school compared to 57 percent of Creole children. Similarly, the tertiary-level attendance rate of Garifuna and Creole students is more than double the rate of Mayan students, which is reported at 8.4 percent.

In addition to Maya student’s poor attendance, the education in the district of Toledo is not adequate. According to an article about “Education in the Toledo Region”, improving access to a quality education is imperative in the remote Toledo region since poverty and dependency have the strongest hold there. However, the quality of education in Toledo is below in other parts of the country. The article explains that Toledo’s teachers face difficult conditions, including multi-grade classrooms and few supplies. Only 13 percent of Toledo’s youngsters are in preschool compared to 32 percent nationally. Also, only seven percent of Toledo’s children have access to ten or more children’s books in their homes. This lack of access to preschool and books mean that children are unprepared to enter primary schools and leads to repetition of grades in the early primary years. Furthermore, according to the 2010 UNICEF Annual Report for Belize, the rural district of Toledo, which is predominantly Indigenous Maya, is the most vulnerable.

Education is not the only problem. According to the High-level Political Forum at the United Nations in New York along with 44 other countries, the government of Belize submitted a Voluntary National Report on the country’s progress towards realizing the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The United Nation said that the Belizean government reports detailed presentations on goals pertaining to marine life protection, poverty, health, and gender equality, but it is noted that it is entirely absent of reporting on indicators related to Indigenous Peoples in Belize. The report was not developed with any input from representatives of Indigenous communities. Also, according to the United Nations Press Release 2004, Indigenous Peoples, along with other minority groups, have pushed for parties to recognize that the next agenda for development must ‘Leave No One Behind.’ Yet, Belize is on track to again leave the Maya Peoples behind.

 

Recommended Policy Change (Economic Theories)

Public Goods

According to Mell, A. and Walker, O. (2014), “a pure public good has an additional property: it is non-excludable. It means that it is impossible to stop someone else from using public good” (p. 117). However, based on the United Nations Report and on my personal observations, the Indigenous people are being excluded. It is well known that for over 500 years the majority of these people have been poor and marginalized. Currently, most of these people don’t have access to good roads, schools, hospitals or jobs. Also, according to Sacks (2005), the main sign of underdevelopment in a country or region include poor levels of human capital (health, skills and education, business capital (machinery and buildings) infrastructure (transport, power, and sanitation), and natural capital (viable land). This is the current situation of most of the Indigenous people in Belize and in other parts of Indigenous remote areas across Latin America.

Keynesian Economics Theory

According to Mell, A and Walker, O. (2014), the Keynesian model divides demand in an economy into three sources: households, firms, and the government (p. 239). This theory seems to go along with what was mentioned above about the theory of public goods. The Keynesian theory states that the government should be spending more on infrastructure, unemployment benefits, and education. Yet, the Belizean government does not seem to allocate that much resource to the indigenous people in the forgotten district. The Maya, in general, are poor because they lack proper education and skills to apply for good-paying jobs. According to the Poverty Assessment Report-Belize (n.d.), the poor are not well educated and lack technical and vocational skills. Furthermore, the report states that the poor’s young children are less likely than the children of the non-poor to have higher levels of education and to be involved in technical training. This indicates that the funds that are allocated are not reaching the poor Indigenous population.

Cost-benefit analysis

According to Cost-benefit analysis, the systematic approach is to estimate the strengths and weaknesses of alternatives. Broadly, it has two main purposes: a) to determine if an investment/decision is sound (justification/feasibility)—verifying whether its benefits outweigh the costs, and by how much; b) to provide a basis for comparing projects—which involves comparing the total expected cost of each option against its total expected benefits.

In my particular case, I will have research done on costs and benefits of any project that I might do in the future in Belize, specifically any costs that involve supporting Maya children at Tumul K’in.  For instance, I will take into consideration any direct and indirect costs. That is, under direct costs, I will consider the capital investment, any change in tax or licensing costs, consulting fees, and annual maintenance costs. Under indirect costs, I will consider ongoing training, leasing fees, labor hours, transportation costs, and so on. Furthermore, I must calculate the benefits and incorporate the time that it will take into the equation.

Recommendations:

I strongly believe that improving education and empowering children is one way to get out of poverty; education is a major key to improve the quality of life in the district of Toledo, Belize. According to Franz (2004), education is the central means for preparing children to become competent adults for socializing them to subscribe to the values of society. However, current models of education for development can benefit and contribute genuine progress in education. These include being aware of and respecting existing cultures and values and conceptualizing education as a process that takes into account the experience and knowledge of learners, especially in adult education and community development programs (UNESCO, 1993). The Maya Ke’kchi, Mopan, and Yucatec teenagers need education in their own Maya languages and cultures while preparing them to start their own business or pursue higher education.

Moreover, there is a theory of economic development widely discussed in Mexico called “comunalidad” which is central to my recommendations for education of indigenous students in Belize. Comunalidad refers to the knowledge and wisdom of the traditional indigenous communities which should be utilized in education and economic practice. In the words of Martinez Luna (2010), “Comunalidad is a way of understanding life as being permeated with spirituality, symbolism, and a greater integration with nature.  It is one way of understanding that human beings are not the center, but simply a part of great natural world. It is here that we can distinguish the enormous difference between Western and indigenous thought.  Who is at the center —- only one, or all?”  (pp. 93-94)

Alternatives:

An alternative is that the Maya people should be promoting their own ecotourism in order to obtain the economic strength to achieve their own education. They have been living and protecting the rainforest and traditions in the Toledo District for many years. The Belize government should advertise and encourage tourist to visit the Toledo district and support the Toledo Ecotourism Association. According to the Toledo Ecotourism Association, the Association has created a community-based program in which 10 villages have nearly identical eco-lodges where visitors from around the world can spend a few days roughing and seeing what life in these natural surroundings are like.

Future project in Belize

One of the main individuals who I will work with is the School Principal at the “TUMUL K’IN” Center of Learning in Toledo, Belize.  The school principal is a Maya Mopan. Tumul K’in is a co-ed high school that provides a curriculum 1-4 (equivalent to grades 9-12) in a safe, secure boarding school setting that prepares Maya youth to succeed in a modern world while retaining their Maya identity. Tumul K’in in Maya Mopan means “New Day”. The Center started in 1997 with the help of the Maya Institute of Belize. It was created in an effort to address the cultural and natural resources the Maya people offer for development and to address the crisis of poverty. The Belize government, including the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Natural Resources, supported the idea that education was an appropriate solution to poverty. The high school officially opened in 2002 and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Honorable Said Musa. The center started with 12 students and it grew to 100 students with almost equal numbers of boys and girls. The students are primarily Mopan and Q’eqchi.

The high school, Tumul K’in, Maya values are:

Respect for Mother Nature, Community Interdependence and Cooperation, Intercultural understanding and tolerance—Recognizing and understanding that everything and everyone has a reason for being, has a role and a protector, recognizing the Sacredness of humanity, nature, and the universe. Tumul K’in promotes personal and community organization, truthfulness in words, dialogue and consensus, and self-reliance.

 

 

Action steps

I have developed a strong relationship with the School Principal at Tumul K’in. We communicate weekly through email, messenger, or Facebook. For the new school year, 2018-2019, I will do my best to send 30 sets of English textbooks and 30 sets of Math textbooks. Also, I will do my best to visit the Learning Center at least once a year so that I could continue interacting with students, parents and school staff. Also, as a global leader, in the future, I would like to provide scholarships to Maya students at Tumul K’in. This year, with the support and help of Dr. Alan LeBaron (founder and director of Maya Heritage Community Project at Kennesaw State University), we are supporting the education of two undergraduate Maya students in Guatemala. Our hope is that one day, we could help a few Maya Graduate students in Mexico and Central America to become global leaders.

What have you learned?

In matters of two days, I had the opportunity to do some exploration in the Toledo District of Belize.

On day one, I visited a cacao farm where I literally learned how to roast organic cacao on a Comal (a circular iron hot plate over wood fire) and then grounded the roasted cacao over the Molcajete (a stone tool used for grinding food products). The final step was to make organic dark chocolate.  I liked the chocolate and ended up buying five large thick bars and paid $25.00 (U.S. dollars).  With this money, I might have supported the Maya Q’eqchi family income for a couple of days. This experience demonstrates my support for ecotourism. However, for several reasons, not everyone supports ecotourism in this Maya district. It seems that the government of Belize does not promote developmental projects in the district of Toledo. For example, in a documentary called “The Forgotten District” I learned that in 1997, the Toledo Ecotourism Association (TEA) won an Award Prize from Europe for a developmental project. They won about a million dollars for creating a most socially responsible community-based program. However, the government of Belize told the TEA that they had to use the money in the Northern part of Belize. This was a slap in the face of the Mayas. Nevertheless, I learned on this trip that Maya families are opening up their communities to tourism. With the help of the Toledo Ecotourism Association, the families are combining tourism, cultural revitalization, and environmental conservation.

On day two, I drove to a high school called Tumul K’in in Blue Creek in the district of Toledo, Belize. The mission of the school is all about providing education to teenagers substantiated in their own Maya languages and cultures and while preparing them to start their own business or pursue higher education. During my 8-hour visit at the school, I had the opportunity to talk to former students, parents, teachers, and school administrators. After listening to different individuals and sharing their stories about the importance of education, I left with the conviction that education is a key to improve the quality of line in the district of Toledo without giving up their culture and language.

Conclusion:

After stating the beauty of the culture and science of the Maya People, after stating the history and struggles of the Maya people in the district of Toledo, Belize, and after stating my experience with the Maya Mopan and K’eqchi at Tumul K’in, my hope is to bring awareness and opportunities to the Maya people of Belize. This experience reminded me of where I came from and that I have not forgotten the poor conditions of the rural schools I attended in Guatemala.

I am thankful that the EDD in Organizational Leadership program at Pepperdine University allowed me to come to Belize for the first time. As I stated in this paper, I have had the opportunity to meet a Maya Elder and his family, the students, parents, and school administrators of the high school Tumul K’in in the district of Toledo. Also, I learned so much by interacting with my cohort members and with Dr. June. My hope is to continue what I started doing during these five days by utilizing Tumul K’in to help the Maya children of Belize to preserve their Maya identity while preparing them to start their own business or pursue higher education. This would be my way to contribute to society as a global leader.

                                                         

 

REFERENCES

Bridgewater, S. (2012). A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest. University of Texas Press. Cost-Benefit Analysis. (n.d.). Retrieved from: http://www.econlib.org/library/Topics/College/costbenefitanalysis.html

United Nations Press Releases. Development projects could help indigenous people survive or destroy them completely, depending on how they were managed, permanent forum told. (n.d.) Retrieved from: https://www.un.org/press/ en/2004/hr4758.doc.htm

Dickinson, O. (Director). (2009). The Forgotten District[Video file]. Retrieved from: https://www.filmsdocumentaires.com/films/893-the-forgotten-district

Economic Theories of Poverty. (n.d.). Retrieved from: https://www.jrf.org.uk/report/economic-theories-poverty

Education in the Toledo Region (2015) Retrieved from: http://www.tfabb.org/overedu.html

Eleazar, S. (2013, March 15). The Mayan People Of Today: How They Are Faring In These Modern Times. Retrieved from http://lifetickler.com/the-mayan-people-of-today/

Franz, S. (2004). Realizing the dream: Sustainable self-empowering through culturally relevant   education (an ethnographic case study of the K’ekchi Maya of rural Belize. Indiana  University, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing Keynesian Economics Theory. (n.d.). Retrieved from: https://www.thebalance.com/keynesian-economics-theory-definition-4159776

Martinez Luna, Jaime (2010).  “The Fourth Principle” In New World of Indigenous Resistance.

Mell, A and Walker, O. (2014). The Rough Guide to Economics: From First Principles to the Financial Crisis.

Naslund-Haley, E., Alonzo, H., and Martin, D. (2013). Inter-American Development Bank:          Challenges and Opportunities in the Belize Education Sector

Nine ways to support the rights of indigenous people. (n.d.).            Retrieved from:           https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2016/apr/01/ nine-ways-to-support-the-rights-of-indigenous-people

Penados F. (2017) Indigenous Governance and Education in Belize: Lessons from the Maya Land Rights Struggle and Indigenous Education Initiatives.

Poverty Assessment Report – belize. (n.d.). Retrieved from: https://ambergriscaye.com/BzLibrary/trust495.html

Suter, K. and Buell, S. (2016). The Mayan Civilization – Present and Past. Retrieved from:            http://web.stanford.edu/class/e297c/trade_environment/photo/hmayan.html

Toledo Maya Cultural Council (1997). Maya Atlas: The Struggle to Preserve Maya Land in Southern Belize. North Atlantic Books. Tumul K’in. (n.d.).

Retrieved from: http://www.tumulkinbelize.org/

UNICEF ANNUAL Report for Belize (2010)

Retrieved from:  https://www.unicef.org/about/annualreport/files/Belize_COAR_2010.pdf

 

Online Learning Academy

/in /by

by Arwa Abuhaimed and Ramzan Amiri

 

ABSTRACT

Belize, as an emerging country, faces some economics and education limitations for its general growth. Government education system offers elementary and middle education free upto eighth grade. The country has significant beauty because of it’s warm beaches connected to the Atlantic Ocean. Tourism industry, their largest economic sector, is growing due to favorable changes in foreign investment policies.  Belize’s government appears to be moving in the direction to grow the country’s economy, but it will take some time to see positive outcomes as skilled labor and infrastructure continues to be some of the key deficiencies. The country will require political reform with a priority towards helping people improve their quality of life. With this in mind, the first challenge is to understand the economic problems and its impact on the educational system. Young and adult citizens need support to acquire the highest skills to improve their earnings. Unfortunately, young students, whose families do not have sufficient funds to pay for their high school education have to survive getting menial low skill jobs with minimal income. They have low income and living under poverty limits, (Index mundi, 2018).  Poverty has become a significant barrier to economic growth in Belize. With this is in mind, this particular project lays out a plan to help Belize’s young and adult people to learn and develop new technologies skills to compete for better jobs and salaries.  Young people deserve better opportunities to get out of poverty by improving their skills and be successful and happy people. We have designed a proposal for a Distance Online Learning Program to teach them computer skills as well as skills in the areas of website development, marketing using social media, programming, etc. where home-based business can be established with minimal costs with global reach.

ONLINE LEARNING ACADEMY

The country of Belize and its people are currently facing some important issues. It is not entirely accurate that Belize has an economic crisis on its hands. It is true, however, that the country is facing a crisis of illiteracy and lack of education that could lead to future economic problems, including issues with poverty, and issues with living up to an acceptable standard of human rights. With this in mind, a trip to Belize revealed a number of things about the country that must be understood by those who seek to help. Its chief economic indicators are not strong. In fact, the country features roughly 10% unemployment across the board, (Miller et al., 2015). The percentage does not even include those people who are entirely out of the workforce because of issues of disability or just no longer looking for work. Like in many countries, people’s percentage is not working in Belize is extraordinarily high. On top of that, the country experiences relatively low GDP growth. With just more than two percent, the country’s growth rates should be much higher considering the country has a developing economy. It mainly has the growth rates of an established, developed economy without enjoying the benefits of high quality of life that people have in America or many of the European countries. As one might expect, the long-term economic indicators for the country are just precursors for problems on the ground. In particular, current issues are facing the country in terms of poverty and low quality of life. People are living poorly, with wages being stagnant. Many are living beneath levels of poverty, and they are unable to attend an elementary education; this has created a vicious cycle where individuals are unable to get the assistance they need and then remain in poverty because they do not have the skills to pull themselves out. With this in mind, various solutions are needed to work through this problem today.

The answer is simple, and there are two aspects of this project. First one, it is critical that the quality of life of the people of Belize be raised to acceptable levels. The world has come around to the idea that economic justice is just a human justice. When people are denied their economic rights, they are being denied their human rights more than that. The current situation in Belize constitutes a human rights crisis because the people are living in destitution and have little hope of climbing out of it, either. It is broader than that, however. Helping people in nations like Belize gain skills related to technology allows them to then participate in the emerging global economy. Technology can make the world itself more productive, provide more options for consumers, and generally help improve growth rates. Having more global economic equality, and raising developing nations out of their destitute status, can benefit all people. It is in addition to it just being the right thing to do for human rights reasons.

After considering the problem and why it is essential, the next question has to do with the solution. How can the problem be solved given the tools we have on hand today? In looking at Belize, one could see that the heart of the problem was the lack of ability to provide citizens with training and education (Weigand & Gibson, 2015). They are not given education by the government after the age of 14, meaning that most children never go on to even high school, let alone college. The bulk of applicable skills to help people get jobs are learned in high school and beyond. It makes sense, then that many people would struggle to obtain and hold good jobs if they have a lack of even the most basic skills needed for this a better job, (Ferreira, 2015). With this in mind, the fix itself needs to be narrowly tailored toward the root of the actual problem so that it has the best possibility of addressing the issue.

Moreover, the solutions considered have to be cost-effective, and they have to take into account the limitations that currently exist in Belize, (Horowitz, 2017). The desired fix is one that implements some of the good technology in the world of education that has been developed thus far. Critically, this means using distance learning and online education to provide youth with training so that they can be prepared either to work in global jobs or to start their businesses. Belize will at some point come into the modern age when it comes to business, and people need to be well-positioned to fill the jobs of the future when that takes place. This will allow more of the growth and prosperity to fall into the hands of the people there rather than having others from outside of Belize to come in and take all of the prosperity.

The vision for this project is to provide online learning solutions for all people so that they can be prepared for jobs in technology. The mission is similar. It is to bring about equality and opportunity through the teaching of computer skills and other relevant skills that youths are missing out on. The project has several core values that are important. It operates on the belief that all people are capable of learning new skills. It also operates on the belief that all people are worthy of investment in their skills and their futures.

The idea is to provide a framework through which youth can receive training through the Internet by skilled teachers who can help them develop their technology and computer skills. The goal would be to build an online system that could eventually provide educational services to all interested people in Belize. In the beginning, though, it would seek to provide this education to 10,000 citizens. From there, if it is successful, more students can take advantage of the opportunity.

The plan is to partner with a local organization and with the government in Belize. By doing so, this will ensure that the resources on the ground are used to make this the most efficient project possible. Those partners will be used to identify which technologies are currently available, what kinds of limitations the country might have in terms of identifying students for these programs, and any other local knowledge that might be necessary for the facilitation of this sort of program.

We need to start developing a budget with  $20,0000 (see figure 1)

  • Year one- model classroom in Belmopan
  • Year two- two classrooms in Belize City
  • Year three- one additional classroom in Belmopan and one in Placencia
  • Year four- maintain and improve the success rate of students
  • Year five- maintain and improve the success rate of students

 

Figure 1. Timeline and cost for five years

ACTION STEPS

  • Partner with a local organization “Pathlight International”.
  • Identify resource requirement to set-up and maintain the network.
  • WIFI availability with proper speed to support the lab – need to determine the size.
  • Space availability.
  • Initial funding for the equipment, set-up, and furniture.
  • Recurring cost and maintenance.
  • Will need technology sponsor for continuous (affiliation with technology companies).
  • Timeline + Cost

 

WHO WE MET

  • David Kafka: Remax relator moved to Placencia about nine years ago he is involved with real estate development and works with many investors from the USA and Europe. He shared Some insight about the future development plans of Placencia. The growth plan is significant they except major investment coming from USA and Europe in the next 5 to 10 years.
  • Edgar: is a well-connected person background in local politics, he shared information about the political-legal system, culture history and the dynamics of immigrants and the impact to the economy.
  • RJ: Tour Guys share some information about people in Belize and their challenges.
  • Adrian Bartley: Director, Community Partners PathLight International Organization. He is responsible for bringing sponsors on board and work with them. He is currently with US embassy as well as a local rotary club.

 SPELIT

The SPELIT analysis methodology is a leadership tool for untangling the organizational environment, which is a framework for students and leaders to assess a problem from a social, political, economic, legal, intercultural and technical view (Schmieder-Ramirez & Mallette, 2007).

S= SOCIAL

The social environment addresses the social character of an organization- areas of awareness, relationships, and service.

  • Migration continues to transform Belize’s population.
  • About 16% of Belizeans live aboard, while immigrants constitute about 15%.
  • The emigration of a large share and the influx of Central American immigrants, many central Americans immigrants.
  • Mestizos are the most ethnic group, but they can speak Spanish than English
  • Some native people speaks Creole, despite English being the official language.
  • All cultures appear to live in harmony.

P= POLITICAL

The political environment involves the politics of decision making, power and influence, organizational structure, and sources of power.

  • Complaints of lengthy bureaucratic delays and corruption serve as disincentives to foreign investments.
  • Belize lacks political risk insurance, and as a practice rarely engages in title insurance on real estate property transactions.

E= ECONOMIC

The economic environment involves the production and consumption of resources for the next reasons:

  • Belize’s economic freedom score ranks 23rd among the 32 countries in Latin America,
  • Economic reform in Belize has been not healthy at all because the economy is constrained by lingering policy and institutional weaknesses in many parts of the economy.
  • The exterior commerce has some barriers that difficult the diversification.
  • Tourism is the number one asset to bring money from other countries, followed by export of sugar, bananas, citrus, marine products, and crude oil.

L= LEGAL

The legal environment involves the laws (civil, custom, religious), rules, customs, and ethics.

  • Governance is weak with high levels of corruption.
  • Unreliable land title certificates have led to numerous property disputes involving foreign investors and landowners

I= INTERCULTURAL

The intercultural environment addresses culture and the differences between culture.

  • Most Belizeans are of multiracial descent. About 52.9% are Mestizo, 25.9% Creole, 11.3% Maya, 6.1. % Garifuna, 3.9% East Indian, 3.6% Mennonites, 1.2% White, 1% Asian, 1.2% Other and 0.3% Unknown.
  • In the case of Europeans, most are descendants of Spanish and British colonial settlers, whether pure-blooded or mixed with each other.
  • Most Spanish left the nation just after it was taken by the British colonists who, in the same way, left after independence. Beginning in 1958.
  • German and Russian Mennonites settled in Belize, mostly in isolated areas.

T= TECHNOLOGY

  • The technology environment involves the tools available in the physical environment. (e. facilities and distribution channels).
  • Wi-Fi is a challenge in most parts of Belize. The speed is very slow, and connectivity is unreliable.
  • The government had a decision in 2016 to install fiber optics connection throughout the country. It is a three-year project and appears to be going well. The installation has taken place in a couple of the larger cities including the Capital, Belmopan.

 

SOCIAL & ECONOMIC BENEFIT

There are social and economic benefits to this plan. Socially speaking, it would help to improve the levels of hopefulness in the community. It would also provide a means through which people could come together since they will be learning a significant number of skills together. It would likely decrease crime because young people would both have something to do with their time and would have more hope and opportunity for the future. Economically, this would help to reduce the unemployment rate in the country. It would also add opportunities for people to gain higher wage jobs in the future. The goal is not just to ensure that the people of Belize have an opportunity for employment, but to find good ways to ensure that the people have access to good-paying jobs that can lift them out of poverty. This could, on a macro level, improve the overall standing of the economy of Belize.

Figure 2. Countries align closely along the regression line that depicts the positive association between cognitive skills and economic growth (Hanushek & Woessmann, 2015).

Figure 2. The Knowledge Capital of Nations: Education and the Economics of Growth

ECONOMIC POLICY

1. Framing:

The benefits of the education have to be framed in a manner that the parents and the potential students see the long-term advantage of how this education can truly change their lives and their future generation. Marketing at the grassroots level will be critical. It will have to be addressed in a town hall type meeting in schools at the middle school level.

2. Loss aversion:

The risk of not taken action will be shared by presenting options of where they are today and the potential of where they can be if their skills are improved (Guides, 2014). Examples will be used of countries that have embarked on technology skills development and the global opportunity they have been to gain.

ENDOGENOUS GROWTH THEORY:

“A rising tide lifts all boats.” Since economic growth means there is more to go around everyone in the economy can benefit from it.

Investment in human capital, specifically in technology skills, makes workers use physical capital more effectively, which raises the return on investment in physical capital (Guides, 2014). It is a complementary process which raises GDP growth. Thus, allowing the government to use the additional tax towards improving the country’s economy.

According to Hanushek and Woessmann, population’s knowledge capital, or collective cognitive skills, is by far the most important determinant of a country’s economy.

WHAT WE LEARNED

There were many lessons when I was going through this project. The most eye-opening lesson I learned was that people in countries like Belize have the desire to go out and achieve and learn new skills, but they are frustrated, and they are not being helped by the government infrastructure around them. Things as simple as a free high school education are often taken for granted until one goes to a place like Belize and realizes that life there is very different. I learned, as well, that the best way to put together a program to help people in a country like this is not just to go in and impose one’s ways on the country. Instead, for it to work, it needs to be a collaborative effort. Organizations need to partner with other organizations and need to look closely at the existing competencies there. Without this kind of local engagement, it will be all but impossible to put in place a program that works over the long run.

GLOBAL MINDSET

According to the Harvard Business Review, authentic leaders have a high level of global Mindset, and they are more likely to succeed in working with people from different cultures, (Javidan, 2010).

  1. Know about cultures, political and economic systems in other countries and understand how their global industry works.
  2. Being passionate about diversity and willing to push ourselves.
  3. To be comfortable with being uncomfortable in the uncomfortable environment.
  4. Able to build trusting relationships with people who are different from us by showing respect and empathy and by being good listeners.
  5. Recognize our Cultural values and Biases.
  6. Get to know our Personality traits, especially curiosity.
  7. Learn about the workplace and business expectations of the country and market.
  8. Build strong Intercultural Relationships.
  9. Develop Strategies to adjust and flex style.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

Ultimately, the best recommendation in this instance is to go forward with a program that utilizes pilot courses to get a few students involved in the beginning. It would test out the feasibility of the program and ensure that any kinks can be worked out in the beginning. It is critical to design courses that take into account the skills that people currently have as well as any limitations they might possess. By partnering with local organizations rather than just attempting to come alone in and do everything from the outside, the project can both be better accepted and more likely to succeed in meeting its long-term goals within the community there. It will give the learners, teachers, and facilitators the best chance to help Belize’s people to go to the next level.

  

REFERENCES

Bartley, A. (2006). pathlight. Retrieved from path light: https://pathlight.org

Guides, R. (2014). The Rough Guide to Economics . New York: Rough Guides Ltd.

Hanushek, e. a., & Woessmann, L. (2015). Universal Basic Skills: What coUntrieS Stand to gain. Retrieved from OECD: https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/

Horowitz, R. A. (2017). Understanding Ancient Maya  

Economic Variability: Lithic Technological Organization in the Mopan Valley, Belize. Retrieved from Howard-Tilton Memorial Library: https://digitallibrary.tulane.edu/islandora/object/tulane%3A75405

Javidan, M. (2010, 5 19). Bringing the Global Mindset to Leadership. Retrieved from Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2010/05/bringing-the-global-mindset-to.html

Lakner, C., Lugo, M. A., & Ozler, B. (2014). Inequality of Opportunity and Economic Growth: A Cross-Country Analysis. Retrieved from The World Bank Group: http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/171051468336289614/Inequality-of-opportunity-and-economic-growth-a-cross-country-analysis

Miller, T., & Kim, A. B. (2015). 2015 Index of Economic Freedom Promoting Economic Opportunity and Prosperity. Retrieved from Washington, DC: The Heritage Foundation: https://www.heritage.org/index/pdf/2015/book/Highlights.pdf

Sawaneh. (n.d.). Relationship between Human Skills and Economic Growth. Retrieved from business in gambia: http://businessingambia.com/relationship-skills-economic-growth/

Schmieder-Ramirez, J., & Mallette , L. A. (2007). The Spelit Power Matrix: Untangling The Organizational Environment With The Spelit Leadership Tool. BookSurge Publishing.

Weigand, M., & Gibson, D. (2015, 8 1). Educating Belize: Challenges and Opportunities for the Future. Retrieved from The University of Texas at Austin: http://hdl.handle.net/2152/47363

Leveraging The College Admissions Process To Benefit Students Through International Service Learning

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by Leslie Smith, M.Ed.

Abstract

The pressure to perform, compete, and excel for the purpose of building a robust college resume designed specifically to impress college admissions officers has a significant effect on many students. Read more