On September 29, 2026, Belize marked a key milestone in its secondary education transformation with an official groundbreaking ceremony for a cutting-edge STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) Pavilion at Bishop Martin High School (BMHS), located in Orange Walk Town. When the new academic year 2027-2028 kicks off, students will return to a campus redefined by this purpose-built learning facility, which is already under construction following the ceremony.
The 1,200-square-foot facility is far more than a standard classroom addition: it will feature a fully outfitted modern science laboratory for hands-on experimental learning, a dedicated makerspace equipped for engineering prototyping and creative design, and a professional-grade recording studio to support arts and digital media education. What’s more, the building incorporates an EDGE-certified sustainable design, a rating that guarantees it will operate with lower energy consumption and reduced environmental impact, aligning the project with global green building standards.
For school leadership, the pavilion represents the culmination of years of advocacy to expand BMHS’s already strong reputation for science education. Principal Angel Leiva emphasized the historic nature of the groundbreaking, noting that the project has moved quickly from planning to on-the-ground construction. “Today is a very special occasion. The work has already begun… I am so happy that this project is coming to fruition,” Leiva shared at the ceremony. “What the STEAM pavilion is going to do for BMHS is it’s going to transform our school,” he added, framing the facility as a catalyst that will elevate every aspect of the school’s academic program.
Student leaders echoed that excitement, framing the new infrastructure as a gateway to opportunity that did not exist for previous cohorts. Juel Neal, a current BMHS student, pointed out that the space will do more than host classes—it will foster the collaboration and creative problem-solving that are critical for 21st-century careers. “It represents opportunity, innovation, creativity and possibilities,” Neal said. “It will give us a space to explore new ideas, solve problems, work together and discover talents we never knew we had.”
Ramon Cervantes, Belize’s Minister of State for Education, Culture, Science and Technology, framed the investment as a long-term bet on the country’s next generation. “This facility is an investment in you, our students,” Cervantes told attendees. “It will give you, our young people, the opportunity to learn by doing, by experimenting, to create, to innovate, to solve problems, and to turn ideas into meaningful realities.” He also hinted at broader plans for the program: following the completion of BMHS’s pavilion, the government will identify additional high schools across Belize to receive similar STEAM infrastructure upgrades.
The transformative project is funded through the national Skills for the Future Programme, a multi-stakeholder initiative supported by three partners: the Government of Belize, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Global Partnership for Education. The collaborative funding model has allowed Belize to scale up its investment in skills development that aligns secondary education with the needs of the modern global workforce, with the BMHS pavilion serving as a pilot for future expansion across the country.