Strategic Eco-Tourism for Conservation Summer Hybrid Learning

What is your favorite travel memory?

I have been fortunate to have travelled to various countries and locations but one of my favourite travel memories is still the very first time I went snorkelling along the barrier reef here in Belize. I was introduced to a whole new world, and it was breath-taking. The diversity of corals and colourful fish that surrounded me was delightful and it sparked my love and interest for marine education and conservation. I always looked forward to more snorkelling trips after that first time. I am happy to know that most of our programs at Toucan offer participants wonderful snorkelling opportunities.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

Since working for my current company, I have become more immersed and knowledgeable in the field of study abroad which has helped me to work better with our strategic partners and to better serve our participants. I have also learned the importance of taking a step back and resting when solutions to an issue are not presenting themselves so as to allow for clearer brainstorming later on. Taking that necessary break allows us to better serve our partners and participants. This is a skill that I am still learning to integrate but it has been very helpful so far and I am grateful that it is a skill our company incorporates.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

Many of our students are first time travellers which can make their journey overwhelming; therefore, it is always comforting to hear that our team helped to ease their worries and make their time abroad safe and enjoyable. It is also very lovely to see how the students become comfortable and fully immersed in the experience as the program progresses. Many enjoy the experience so much that they commit to returning. It is also always wonderful to see/hear how they implement the knowledge learned during their time abroad back home. For example: One of our recent students travelled for the first time outside of the United States and while at the beginning he had some anxiety, he said that our pre-departure orientation helped to ease his worries and prepare him for his study abroad experience. Once in Belize, he kept an open mind and fully immersed himself in the program. He enjoyed his experience so much that he decided to showcase his experience in one of the school’s competitions. He won second place for his presentation.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

All the programs that Toucan offers are so dynamic and engaging that any program would be enjoyable. However, if I had to choose only one, I would love to participate in the Natural Resource Tourism program. The program merges my two favorite study interests: Natural Resource Management and Sustainable Tourism. Having the opportunity to engage in these topics with local experts and diverse participants all while exploring various incredible locations within Belize sounds magical.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

Our company is committed to offering high value programs while forging meaningful partnerships with our local communities and the partners we serve. We truly assess the impact of our programs to those involved and we only proceed with programs and partnerships that we deem beneficial to all involved. As a social enterprise, we also look at our environmental impact and one way we commit to offsetting our impact is through our commitment to plant two seedlings for every participant we serve throughout all our programs – a pledge unique to our organization. Another way our company helps our community is through our scholarship program that offers a full scholarship to students entering high school. These commitments make me proud of my team and company daily.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

Our team is filled with passionate and dedicated individuals committed to helping our participants Serve, Learn, and Explore ethically and responsibly. I think our individual strengths and commitment to our roles along with our combined knowledge merge well together to ensure that we deliver high quality programs and experiences to all our participants. We also always seek to forge meaningful partnerships within Belize and individuals/organizations abroad. All of these strengths together allow for a successful company.