OUR MISSION:
To support the educational and professional advancement of the Maya people and neighboring indigenous cultures in southern Mexico, Belize and Central America, and to sustain programs that foster study, preservation and understanding of those cultures.
 
DONATE BY MAIL OR PHONE:
If you prefer to donate by mail, please make check payable to Maya Educational Foundation and send to:
 
Maya Educational Foundation
P.O. Box 1483
Wellfleet, MA 02667, USA 
 
Or call us at:
 
Tel. (508) 349-1330
 
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MEF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All contributions are U.S. tax-deductible.
 
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In fulfilling our goal to expand programs to new areas, MEF launched in 2006 a scholarship program in the Toledo District of Belize. The Belize Scholarship Program provides opportunities for education and training assistance at the secondary school level to Mayan students with financial need. Maya children in Belize work very hard at their studies, knowing their opportunities are rare and also a big sacrifice for the family. They are eager to further their education in order to improve their lives and the lives of their families.

At the beginning of the school year, August 2006, MEF in collaboration with the Julian Cho Society, a non profit indigenous rights NGO based in southern Belize, initiated the first ever Maya scholarship program. Seven students received scholarships. Three students attended the Toledo Community College, a high school serving about 900 students, grades 9-12. Four students went to the Julian Cho Technical High School, a government co-educational institution, with about 400 students and 30 staff, which emphasizes vocational technical education that is relevant to the development of the Toledo District and its people.

 

Scholarship students in Belize, 2007

 
 
 
 
Organizational Background

The Julian Cho Society (JCS) is a non-profit, non-governmental membership organization dedicated to the conservation of the environments and indigenous lands of southern Belize. We aim to carry forward the vision and legacy of the late Julian Cho, a renowned advocate for the rainforests and indigenous peoples of southern Belize.


2006-2007 MEF/JCS Scholars

Five scholars were successfully promoted to second year from both the Toledo Community College and the Julian Cho Technical High School. Some of the students despite the challenges scored really high grades. All scholars engaged in a community service project throughout the year and joined the Maya Youth Task Force of Southern Belize. During their summer break some of the scholars received training in Oral Histories collection and engaged in an oral histories project for four weeks.

Students coming from traditional Maya communities found difficulty transitioning into a more modern society. Immersion into these high schools is often difficult and discriminatory and does not provide for easy transition for rural students. Scholars were encouraged to ask questions when necessary and to seek outside help from other teachers, friends and peers within their schools.
 
Though there is a multitude of issues associated with education for rural Maya children in southern Belize, the scholars sustained their interest and drive for excellence in their educational opportunity.
 
 
2007-2008
 
Through the Julian Cho Society, MEF supports ten Q’eqchi and Mopan students from nine villages to attend high school at the Toledo Community College and the Julian Cho Technical High School. The Society established a community service requirement for the students as a way for them to give back to their home villages. Cristina Coc, the Society’s Executive Director, reports that all the students are doing well, and writes:
"The Scholarship Program continues to be a major success and a very important factor for the advancement of Maya children in southern Belize. We have been impressed with the academic commitment and achievements of our scholars after only two years of operation. The JCS and the rural children of the Toledo District are very grateful for the continued support of this program by the Maya Educational Foundation. We thank you for believing in our potential and for supporting our efforts."
 
Belize scholarship students, 2008
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2008-2009
 
A recent development in this program has been the decision, with the help of MEF, to support ten additional students in the Tumul K’in Center of Learning in Blue Creek Village, also in the Toledo District. This facility is unique in that it serves about 60 students, all indigenous, with a curriculum that emphasizes mutual understanding and cooperation. In reserving two of these new scholarships for Garinagu and Creole students, MEF and JCS wish to reinforce the intercultural initiatives offered by Tumul K’in.
 
 
Students learning to weave and make pottery at the Tumul K'in Center of Learning
 
 
 
 
Maya Educational Foundation • P.O. Box 1483 • Wellfleet, MA 02667, USA
Tel. (508) 349-1330 • Fax (508) 349-0252 • mef@mayaedufound.org