Today you’ll fly from the US into Belize City International Airport - Our staff meet your group at the airport for a private transfer to your accommodation in San Ignacio in western Belize (approximately 2 hours).

Depending on your flight arrival time, lunch will be on the road during your drive or upon arrival at your local accommodation. After settling, you’ll meet our team for an orientation of the area and our program. This will include safety information, a review of your itinerary, introductions, and hotel information such as WiFi. 

Enjoy a welcome dinner consisting of traditional Belizean food.

Begin your morning with a walking tour of town, visit the market, and hear from a guest speaker on Education, Cultural and Healthcare in Belize.

Today you'll have time to review information on clients and materials we have for screenings, dynamic assessments, treatment, and Tykes Camp. Once we know the make up of the students and their levels, we will determine the clinical experiences. All of this information will be shared with you prior to departure via a Google Resource Folder. Client files will be located in there along with speech therapy resources, packing list, final itinerary, and more!

Tykes Camp Preparations

Tykes Camp is a learning camp for children with special needs designed around skill based stations - speaking, listening, learning, sensory, STEM, and fine and gross motor skills. The philosophy of Tykes is simple: Provide evidence-based practice in a group setting for children with a variety of disorders and disabilities. Speech, language, and occupational therapy goals will be targeted in the broader context of play, academic skills, and activities of daily living. 

This philosophy is important for three reasons: 

- Group interventions are effective, fun, and create a social network; 

- Treatment intensity (i.e., frequency and dose) predicts the best outcomes; and 

- Academic readiness and strong behavior regulation leads to high-quality outcomes. 

This morning you’ll you have your first day of Tykes Camp! You’ll work through the stations you designed with your assigned camper. Your supervisors will be there to support you throughout the morning.

This afternoon you’ll complete screenings, assessments or treatment with your faculty. You may also have a chance to complete parent trainings and provide them with resources for their child.

Second day of Tykes Camp! Make adjustments from yesterday. You’ll be getting to know your camper better and feel more confident.

This afternoon students are off the the Maya Women’s Group. Organized to primarily offer a sustainable way to keep their culture alive, this tour will take students to the village of San Antonio in the Cayo district. The Yucatec Maya Village is nestled in the Maya mountains bordering the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. Students will learn to prepare traditional food & make pottery.

This morning you’ll continue with Tykes Camp. Meet with parents and share information for them to take home and continue working with their child. You should be very proud of the work you’ve done!

This afternoon you’ll complete screenings, assessments or treatment with your faculty. You may also have a chance to complete parent trainings and provide them with resources for their child.

Wrap up Tykes Camp this morning! It’s hard to believe the week has flown by and you’ll say goodbye to your campers. Make sure to leave resources for parents to continue working on goals.

This afternoon you'll head up to visit Cahal Pech Archeological Site. You’ll have a private, guided tour to learn all about the history and culture of the Maya people. The site was a palatial, hilltop home for an elite Maya family, and though the most major construction dates to the Classic period, evidence of continuous habitation has been dated to as far back as 1200 BCE during the Early Middle Formative period (Early Middle Preclassic), making Cahal Pech one of the oldest recognizably Maya sites in Western Belize.

Today you’ll head to Jaguar Paw for an adventure. You’ll first fly through the jungle while zip lining! It’s a beautiful, thrilling experience. You’ll have harnesses and helmets to wear and be guided throughout the trip by professionals. 

After lunch, you’ll cool off in the river while going cave tubing. You’ll have life jackets, helmets, and head lamps. It can get a little dark inside! Don’t worry though, our guides take good care of everyone.

Take the Belize Water Taxi to Caye Caulker or San Pedro today. Settle into your new accommodations. We will provide a brief orientation to the island and review safety information.

Spend the afternoon relaxing in the sun, swimming, shopping, or exploring the island. There is a beautiful sunset spot our staff will show you. 

Head out on a boat excursion today for guided snorkeling to see nurse sharks, rays, and many beautiful fish and coral! The Belize Barrier Reef is the second largest barrier reef in the world, and the largest in the western hemisphere. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Belizeans work hard to manage this resource sustainably. Our snorkel provider will provide snorkel equipment and life jackets we require all students to wear during the snorkel trip.

Spend your final afternoon relaxing in the sun, swimming, shopping, or exploring the island. Tonight we will have a farewell dinner at one of our favorite spots on the island.

Take the water taxi back to Belize City to catch your flight home! Exchange information with new friends to stay connected! Please reflect back on all of the amazing things you did on your trip.

Share your experience with family, friends, peers and professors! Please be sure to tag us in your social media posts and leave us a review on GoOverseas.com.