Therapy Volunteers International

My experience in Belize was both professionally and personally impactful. Throughout the week, we worked in the Stella Maris Special Education School and pediatric outpatient clinic, where we observed and helped lead OT and speech therapy sessions for children with a wide variety of needs. This experience pushed me outside of my comfort zone and helped me grow tremendously in my confidence, adaptability, and clinical reasoning skills. I learned how meaningful occupational therapy can be even in low-resource settings and how important flexibility and creativity are when working in pediatrics. The children, therapists, and families were incredibly welcoming, and I left Belize with a much deeper appreciation for cultural humility and client-centered care!

This trip was a once in a lifetime opportunity to serve the children of Belize and work alongside AMAZING therapy volunteers! I gained a new perspective of the need for OT around the world and learned so much about the culture of Belize. This trip was well organized and truly a 10/10 experience. I would highly recommend that OT students take this opportunity if at all possible! The trip was an amazing learning opportunity and a great chance to gain clinical experience. Beyond that, we were able to build connections with Belizean people all along the way.

This trip was SO rewarding and fulfilling!!

The week in Belize is life changing in so many ways. There are so many opportunities to love and serve others in their community. There is a general plan for the daily schedule, but flexibility is key! We worked with the school and clinic each day. Stella Maris is the only school within Belize that provides services to children with Special Needs. Being immersed in the culture is an enlightening experience that allows you to provide hands-on therapy sessions with many students each day within a classroom setting and one-on-one student sessions. The students are so eager to learn. I loved seeing the culture within the school of teaching the older students life skills and encouraging a community of assisting with the younger students. The hands-on experience that we gained as a Level 1A fieldwork is unmatched I'm forever grateful for this experience!

From the second we touched down, everything was set for us to start our incredible experience in Belize! Our schedule was filled with quality time with the children both in school and in the clinic as well as enriching activities that highlighted the beauty of the local culture and landscape. It was eye-opening to learn how access to special education has developed in Belize and to be on the forefront of the push to make education more accessible for all children. Anyone coming to this location will surely have the all-around experience of a lifetime!

This experience was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Not only was Belize absolutely beautiful, but Therapy Volunteers gave us the connections to see the true beauty behind the tourist attractions. Being connected to a school for children with special needs this early in my education was invaluable. Connecting with a different culture and education system was by far the highlight of our trip. I could not imagine a better place to have my first clinical rotation. I would absolutely recommend this experience to anyone!