Scheduled for publication on May 29, 2026, this feature story from Belize’s *Looking on the Bright Side* profiling a trailblazing campus that is redefining what 21st century education can look like when communities come together. As part of the Ministry of Education’s national MoRE Campaign – an initiative that challenges schools across the country to “be more, do more” by expanding learning beyond four classroom walls and prioritizing growth in technology access, student wellness, and community collaboration – Chapel School in the Orange Walk District has emerged as a gold standard for the movement.
When a News 5 reporting team led by correspondent Sabreena Daly arrived on campus to profile the school’s work, they were greeted with a vibrant celebration: a student drumline performed at the main gate, under a decorative balloon arch, followed by a traditional student dance performance that set the tone for the story of community transformation unfolding inside the school’s halls. Serving 230 students across all primary grade levels, Chapel School’s standout approach to the MoRE Campaign’s goals centers on a single core mission: closing the long-standing divide between school and home to build a shared investment in student success.
For parent and Parent-Teacher Association president Gustavo Castaneda, the impact of this approach is visible in his own son Emilio, a Standard 1 student. “Emilio likes the school because everybody is friendly, and, um, everybody gets involved in his education,” Castaneda explained, noting that the warm, inclusive environment has helped his son grow into a more confident learner.
That intentional culture of inclusion and partnership did not develop by accident, according to Chapel School principal Heidi Tejeda. Tejeda frames the school’s work as a deliberate effort to “bridge the gap” between the school and the surrounding community, repositioning the small Christian campus as a welcoming space for all stakeholders: parents, students, teachers, and local residents alike. “I want the people and the community, to see our Christian school as embracing everyone, embracing the parents, the students, and the teachers, and that we work as a team,” Tejeda said.
The school’s approach challenges the long-held traditional mindset that education is solely the responsibility of campus faculty and staff. Instead, Chapel School actively integrates parents into every layer of student learning, operating on the principle that responsibility for a child’s growth is shared equally between teachers, families, and learners themselves. “It is very important for us to include our parents because the responsibility is shared among the teacher, the parent, and the student. And the more the parents they come, the more engaged the students are,” Tejeda added.
This focus on inclusion and shared responsibility has delivered measurable, tangible results: the school has recorded clear increases in both student attendance and academic motivation since rolling out its community-centered model. Beyond parent engagement, Chapel School has also reimagined in-class learning by moving lessons beyond traditional classroom spaces when it supports student growth. A unit on composting, for example, turned into a hands-on school-wide project to build a campus botanical garden. The school offers every student access to coding classes in a fully outfitted computer lab, alongside robust sports and creative arts programs that welcome all participants – including students with disabilities, who are fully integrated into every campus activity. The school has fully adopted competency-based learning frameworks that prioritize individual student growth over one-size-fits-all testing, aligning perfectly with the MoRE Campaign’s vision for education innovation.
Hector Morales, the Principal Education Officer for the Orange Walk District, highlighted that Chapel School’s work is exactly the kind of transformative practice district officials hope to spread to every campus across the region. “And that’s what we want to do. We want to highlight the kind of activities, kind of work that Chapel is doing, and we want all the schools to do the same, regardless if they are recognized or not,” Morales said.
Launched to reshape Belize’s national education landscape, the MoRE Campaign has found a standout leader in Chapel School – a campus that has not only met the campaign’s challenge but has set a benchmark for other institutions to follow. What makes the school’s transformation unique, however, is that it has nothing to do with extravagant new infrastructure or high-priced administrative overhauls. The real change has happened in the attitudes of parents and community members, who have shifted from viewing education as a service to delegate to the school to a shared responsibility they all own.
Castaneda summed up that cultural shift, noting: “Traditionally parents would say, ‘Well, I will hand the school our education, the education of my child,’ which is not so. Education comes from the school as well as from the parent, from us parents, and from the community itself.”
That collaborative synergy, that shared commitment to “paddling in the same boat,” does more than just give students a place to learn each day. It builds a strong foundation for long-term life success. When a whole community commits to being more inclusive, more engaged, and more invested, it gives children the power to achieve more than they ever could alone. Reporting for *Looking on the Bright Side*, I’m Sabreena Daly.
