Smarts In Arts is an educational service by Believe In Belize and is currently offered in Corozal. Kids here have extremely limited access to art, theatre, or music programs.
The primary goal is to teach kids the basics of reading and inspire them beyond the bare minimum. With some confidence, they can acquire a skillset to enrich their lives, homes, their country, and an opportunity to expand their future into anything within or beyond their beautiful homes’ borders.
Smarts In Arts is putting paintbrushes into the hands of children who have never painted in their lives. Kids Karaoke is encouraging kids to learn how to read and sing their favorite songs. Coloring books are ever present, and pictures proudly posted on refrigerators. The walls of a formerly dark hallway have been replaced with jellyfish, seaweed, smiling fish, and has been totally transformed into an aquarium. Tie Dye T-shirts taught them the physics of folding, chemistry, colors and how to make a glorious mess.
Future projects will include local and international artisans to instruct Wood Carving, Dance, Dynamics of Movement, Public Speaking, Theatre, Set Design and Construction, Costume and Makeup design Sound and Lighting design, Discipline, and Hope.
Every child who participates receives a meal, a drink, and a book to take home. They leave events with books clutched to their chests in hugs, and may either keep forever, or bring back to exchange for another adventure.
How can you help?
We are especially in need of books for rudimentary readers in English and in Spanish.
If you have craft materials sitting idle, please consider giving them a new life in the hands of a kid. Extra fabric, canvases, paints, crayons, colored pencils, and coloring books are in heavy rotation. In the hopes of developing a kids band, musical instruments…guitars, drums, music stands, recorders, or even kazoos. As you clean closets or garages, think of our budding Smarts In Arts service.
You can also help us financially. US $10 covers the average cost of attendance of one child’s material, meal and transportation (for kids that need it). We currently work with about 12 kids per week.
There is so much to do. Gonna get to it.
For additional information and/or to coordinate a drop off in Belize please contact Wendy Carter, our Education and Arts Manager, at educationprogram@believeinbelize.org, You can learn more about Wendy at this link https://believeinbelize.org/SitePage/managers/wendy-carter.
To ship internationally, please consider using our free container shipping service https://believeinbelize.org/Page/consolidated-container-shipping-service. For other arrangements or inquiry, please contact us at container@believeinbelize.org.
Thank you so much for your hearts and support!