Post Trip Thoughts: Communication is Key (Kryslynne)

Have you ever heard of the saying, don't judge a book by its cover? Of course you have. I am sad to inform you that I did just that with Belize. But after getting to emerge myself in experience I was able to connect with the people on a deeper level.

One thing that I really enjoyed was being able to talk one-on-one with some of the students from Tumulkin Center of Learning. Before our tour of the school, I spoke with two first year, female students. While we were talking to they shared with us some of the classes they were currently and what their favorite subjects were. I remember that one of the students said she enjoyed her math class and I jokingly asked her if she'd be my tutor but she declined. They also told us what role they played within the school outside of traditional education. The school has a garden that all of the first year students take care of and the food grown was then used in the kitchen to feed everyone. They explained to me how they woke up at 6am to tend to the garden. That just seemed absolutely crazy to me but to them, it was just their way of life. Even though looking after a garden is not considered a core subject it still teaches students important life lessons. These kids were learning how to provide for themselves and their families in the future. What these students are willing to do to receive an education is inspiring. It made me stop and think about how I might be taking some of my educational opportunities for granted. Without getting the chance to talk with the students I probably would have never realized how much the school relied on the participation and dedication of the students. 

If I would have to pick my biggest take away from this trip it would have to be that the best way to learn about an area or place is to speak with the people who live there. They can provide you with information that you can't read in about online because you actually have to go there to find it. 

Kryslynne is a sophomore in the Agriculture and Extension Education Major at Penn State 

Post Trip: Sustainability in Belize (Sarah)

In Belize, I have learned a lot about Mayan farmers and how their surroundings and culture impact their production. The type of production done in Belize is a sustainable goal to have a constant influx of food to feed their family. To me, sustainability is something that I learned about in a university setting. To be sustainable is to be constant in one form or another. Most Belizean farms are not an example of a sustainable business since most farms do not even sell their crops, but keep them to feed themselves and their families. The farms, however, are a sustainable source of food mainly due to the simple fact that the Belizean culture and environment have allowed for continued production.

To a farmer in Belize, the farm may be to one and only source of food, so it must be sustainable. These farmers did not learn their sustainability knowledge from a university, but their family and communities. At Polo's farm, Polo had over 30 crops all being grown at one time. This gives Polo and his family a way to harvest different crops at different times, and have a constant influx of food for the family.

The farming at Manuel's farm included what is called the three sisters farming practice, where corn, beans and squash are all grown together because of the benefits they all have for each other. These methods were passed down to him from his elders and have helped the crops bring in a good yield for Manuel.

Sarah Miller is an Agricultural Science major at Penn State

Post Trip Thoughts: Never Only One Way (Britton)

It has been roughly two weeks since we have arrived back home. While I was in Belize I have learned a lot not only about the country, but about myself as well. There were so many AMAZING experiences that happened in the short amount of time that we were in Belize.

During the reflection with Dr. McCubbins, He had laid out a bunch of post cards with different pictures on them. We were to pick a card that explained what he had done/ learned from the day. The post card that stood out the most to me was one with a road sign that said "one way". During the day I realized there is never just one way of doing something. 

The Most Important concept that I picked up from Belize, is the ides that there is never only one way to do things.

The first time I came into contact with this Idea was at Mr. Polo's farm. On his family's farm they raise over 26 products to be able to sell and make a living from. This is different than in the United States where there are a lot of monocrop farms that raise and sell one product. Mr. Polo and his family were really welcoming to us and were open when telling us about their farm and their products. They have so many products that sometimes not everything gets harvested on time. 

The second farm that we toured was Mr. Rudolpho's beef cattle farm (I talked about this in one of my previous blog posts). I had an ability to connect with Mr. Rudolpho because we are both beef cattle producers. He raises Brahma cattle, even though they are not the highest quality breed, they are the only breed that Guatemala will buy. This was new to me, being that even though back home (in the US) we raise a lot of angus cattle for their good quality meat. This is when I realized that something that is good in one place might not be good in a different place.  The same one item might not mean anything to people in one community, but in another community it means a lot more. 

I think that I was better able to take in my surroundings once I realized that there is never one way from doing something. 

Britton is an agricultural extension education major at Penn State 

Diversification is Survival: Tips from Trevelino (Lex)

I have been fortunate enough to travel to some incredible places, but none compare to Belize. Whenever I travel I hate feeling like a tourist. I don't want to go to the typical tourists traps and do what everybody else does. I love to find things off the beaten path that only the locals know about, and I feel like we were able to do that on this trip. Now it was a school trip and we worked with CELA Belize so we weren't really tourists, but I really felt exposed to the local culture in a way I haven't on previous trips. Earlier in the semester we learned about indigenous knowledge and the roles that it can play. Being able to interact with the locals directly gave us the opportunity to learn more about their culture. The best example I can think of is when we were at the San Ignacio Market and a pair of locals explained the difference between the "local" chicken and the "normal" chicken (you can check out my previous post to learn the difference). I feel like this encounter was my "Aha" moment because I realized I was experiencing indigenous knowledge through informal education.

When I look back on trips like these the first thing I think of is not what we did, but who did we meet. What did we learn from these people and how do the varying perspectives compare? For example, when looking back at our second farm tour I remember Mr. Juan showing us around his property and explaining that everything there served a purpose. For example, a single tree can help serve as a fence post, can provide shade for the livestock, and can attract birds that sing for tourists on horseback. My biggest take away from that day was when he said "diversification is survival." There were so many different things growing on his farm that there was always something ready to harvest. This is vital for a farm trying to stay afloat when fighting competition from foreign imports.

I personally enjoyed the farms tours. We visited a lot of farms on this trip, but each one of
offered something different. Each one had it's own unique experience that made it memorable. My favorite was after we toured Polo's farm we were given fresh coconut water to quench our thirst from the heat. I love coconuts and being able to fill my water bottle with coconut water was a highlight for me. When I had previously traveled to Central America I was told that the yellow coconuts are no good. Only the green ones were safe to eat. However at Polo's farm they were cutting both green and yellow coconuts. I eagerly tried both and could not taste a difference. People in Costa Rica believe that yellow coconuts are inferior, but in Belize the only difference is the color. This was an enlightening moment for me because I was able to compare the different perspectives on coconuts. I realized that the indigenous knowledge for this area can be totally different compared to another area even though they are addressing the same subject. Despite having a preconceived notion on the yellow coconuts I learned something new by acknowledging the new perspective. I believe that is what this trip was about, putting aside our preconceptions in order to open up and learn something new without judgement.

Lex is a freshman majoring in BioRenewable Systems/Biological Engineering at Penn State.

Return Thoughts: Fair Governance Lessons from the Mayans (Daniel)

What is fair play? How do groups of individuals come together to accomplish shared goals?

These are questions that come out in my professional and personal life. As a teacher educator, I work to help teachers motivate and empower students and as a professional parliamentarian, I am often called upon to help organizations reach higher levels of success.

I was fascinated to learn about some aspects of the Mayan culture including: 

• The Alcade
• Fahina

The Alcalde

The Alcalde is a selected member of the village that chosen to lead the group. It is interesting to note that their responsibilities are not to make decisions, rather facilitate the process to reach consensus and keep the peace and order. As a parliamentarian, I can appreciate the idea of a leader helping a group to be successful in their goals opposed to an authoritarian dictator making decisions. 

This concept of Alacade is integrated into the learning at one of our school visit sites: Tumul K'in Center of Learning. The elect an Alcalde for each grade level each year to help lead the student body in self-governance.

Fahina

Fahina is an activity where a group comes together to complete tasks for the greater good. I love how this speaks to the responsibility each of us in any group setting (i.e. class, teams, etc) to contribute. There is a personal responsibility that each of us have to be the change we wish to see in the world. This comes to life in the village on a quarterly basis and on a monthly basis in the Tumul K'in Center of Learning. Students tackle various tasks like cutting firewood, cleaning, garbage, etc.

You can learn more about our school visit here: http://www.tumulkinbelize.org

These experiences and conversations push one towards self-reflection. Questions to ask yourself like:

1) What is my "Fahina" contribution?

2) Would people in groups I am involved in want me to serve as their Alcalde?

3) How can I be more of servant-leader in day to day living?

Daniel Foster is an agricultural teacher educator at Penn State and a Professionally Registered Parliamentarian with the National Association of Parliamentarians

Post-Trip Blog: Transformative Tropical Travel (Olivia)

My passion for agriculture was cultivated in the soil of my high school years. When I was a junior, I ran for the title of Miss Cecil County Farm Bureau, something utterly outside of my comfort zone as well as persona. However, this leap from comfort was a pivotal point in my agricultural career.

During my reign, I was not only exposed to, but immersed in extremely rare opportunities to advocate on behalf of the industry that I love. Through my county and state Farm Bureaus, I was able to meet Maryland Governor Larry Hogan several times, attend legislative sessions in both the state capitol and Washington, D.C., and even meet and talk to senators and their constituents. 

This program was the first time that I really saw the power of the agricultural community. Maryland's county Farm Bureaus, as well as the overarching state organization, were incredibly passionate for and invested in the future of agriculture in the state, and as someone who didn't grow up on a farm, it was the first time that I truly felt as if my voice mattered to the industry.

Now three, almost four years since I have held the title of Miss Cecil County Farm Bureau, I feel a revitalized sense of community and belonging within the industry I love, this time on an international scale.

Throughout my time in Belize, I was amazed at the pride in which the Belizean people took in the integrity of their Belizean agriculture. For example, the Belizeans almost always preferred to buy "local chicken" instead of "Mennonite chicken." To put that into an Americanized context, this essentially meant heritage breed chickens versus broiler chickens. However, almost all of the Belizean people preferred the chicken which was homegrown in their community, and took pride in the fact that they were able to support their friends and neighbors while reducing their environmental footprint. 

Another particularly intriguing aspect of my trip to Belize was our time spent at Spanish Lookout, one of the Mennonite communities in Belize. As someone who was raised around Anabaptist sects such as the Amish and Mennonite, I was interested to see the dynamic of this religion in a different context. During our time in the community, I was struck by the diversity that I saw working at the various Mennonite operations, which I found to be strikingly different than the United States. 

When I asked one of the Mennonite business owners if they typically only employ members of the Mennonite community, he elaborated on their diversity within the workplace. He said that they typically have an oversupply of workers, which is very different from America. I found it really interesting and refreshing to see the inclusion of every community in these typically conservative communities. 

The aspect of agriculture that I have always love the most is community. I love knowing that there is a group of people there to support me, care for me, and watch me grow who are just as passionate about the industry that I hold closest to my heart as I am. My time in Belize helped me realize that these communities, founded on the principle of agriculture, exist all over the globe, and to this day agriculture serves as the glue for every society in every corner of the world. I am so glad to have been able to experience these communities first hand, and it has added fuel to my fire of investment in the industry as a whole. 

Olivia is a sophomore majoring in Agricultural Science at Penn State

I Belize in the Future of Agriculture: Post Travel Blog (Erin)

Agriculture wears a lot of different hats. It looks different across the world. It is based in culture, tradition, and the importance of providing for, and serving others. Traveling to Belize was a reminder of the impact agriculture has. A reminder of it's overall importance.

In the United States, agriculture is oftentimes an afterthought. For the most part, we are fortunate enough to be food secure, and for many people, the thought of where their food comes from stops at the grocery store. Most people are generations removed from the farm, therefore creating a disconnect between farmer and consumer.

Agriculture looks a lot different in Belize! 

In Belize, we saw the importance of agriculture from the start of our trip. We saw how agriculture spread its roots in Mayan culture, in Mennonite culture, and beyond. One of the things that stood out to me, was the Mayan people and their dedication to their land. People historically would walk up to two hours JUST to get to their farms, and everyday would continue to farm.

I think in travel it's easy to look at just the differences between here or there. But differences don't bring people together. As the trip continued, I realized that even though agriculture looked different, that we all had similar concerns that impacted our industry. In both the United States and Belize, the average age of farmers continues to get older. We talked with local farmers about the uncertainty of who will take over their farm, and what will be left behind. We also discussed how the general outlook towards agriculture prevents people from wanting to involve themselves in it. Oftentimes, agriculture is seen as unappealing, something that is a last resort. It makes things difficult in bridging the age gap between the younger, and older generations.

As a future teacher, I hope to always remember to focus less on the differences, and embrace the similarities between experiences, cultures, and people. I think if we're always thinking with an "us vs. them" mentality, we can't build a connection with students. I think that's why traveling is so important. In class leading up to our departure, Belize to me was in my mind as somewhere far away. The places we talked about weren't concrete or real. It was easy to talk about agriculture, or education in Belize from afar, because we weren't made aware of the intricacies that exist from up close. Essentially, we had very limited indigenous knowledge about Belize, and the people who lived there.

Traveling makes the indigenous knowledge known, and although we'll never be experts in it, we'll at least be made aware of it. That was the entire point of #TeachAgBelize. I mean, the official class name is "Indigenous Knowledge in Agricultural Education"so I guess that makes sense. It's funny how things really come full circle when you take the time to really process your experience.

I am thankful for this experience, and for the opportunities that I have as a Penn State student. This trip would not have been possible without Dr. Miller-Foster, Dr. Foster, Dr. Ewing, Dr. McCubbins, and CELA Belize (especially Lauren and Jorge who were with us from start to finish), and I'm thankful for all that they did to make this trip as amazing as it was. I'm also grateful for my classmates, Kurt, Olivia, Britton, Kryslynne, Lex, Sarah, and Gillian. I had so much fun traveling with you guys, and getting to know you more. You all have so many different areas of knowledge and passions that taught me so much over the course of the week.

If you are interested in seeing our final presentation about what we learned, you can come to Ferguson 214 on Monday, March 26th at 4pm!

Erin Langdale is a sophomore in the Agricultural and Extension Education major at Penn State. 

Reflection on Belize: Teaching and Learning in Various Ways (John)

It is hard to believe that our 9-day experience to Belize has been over for more than a week now. The experience was amazing for me, as this was my first time traveling with a group of students beyond the borders of the United States. Any time you travel with students there is some apprehensions as to whether or not everything will go as planned. I will admit that these feelings were greater for this international experience. However, through careful planning (thank you @GlobalMelanie, @CELABelize, and many others that made this experience happen) diverse experiences can be provided to our students (and instructors) that will impact their knowledge, skills, and dispositions for the rest of their lives.

As I reflect on the trip and this past week of being home, I have come to realize the impact of the trip will truly last a lifetime. Again, the trip itself was exciting and educational on many levels, but I believe the events following the trip can be just as important. How can this be, since the travel abroad experience was so amazing? Well, it is because everywhere I went this past week I was able to share the great things that happened on the trip. Yes, the trip has a huge impact on those of us that traveled and actually experienced Belize first-hand, but I believe when we come home and share the experience with others, we are broadening our impact. Not only do we have the opportunity to "re-live" our experiences (which helped me reinforce the "why" of the experience), but we are providing insight to those with whom we interact. Since returning, I shared my experiences with people from the ages of  7 to 77 (maybe even older, but I am not going to ask). Each person asked different questions and had different interests in what I saw and did while in Belize. This is the exciting part of such an experience. Everyone I talked to this past week wanted to know something different about Belize. 


One of the questions that I kept getting really made me think about how people view the "tropics", and in this case specifically, Belize. Everyone wanted to know if we spent time at the beach/snorkeling, etc. I think many people view these countries simply as places where we vacation and relax. While each of us need these experiences in our lives (and Belize can provide these), I was able to share that our trip had different objectives for our students. It was fun to hear peoples' responses when I shared our educational objectives were focused on examining agriculture, education, and what/how knowledge is shared in Belize. They wanted to know more about Belize and these topics, and our discussion quickly turned from "vacation" to a more in-depth discussion about agricultural products (I usually highlighted hot sauces), geography, education, history, and economics.


As I prepared to write this blog, I kept reflecting on something that we encouraged our students to think about during the trip. How is knowledge passed on to future generations? I realized that I have the opportunity almost each and every day to teach in formal, informal, and non-formal educational settings about the experiences that I have had in my life. I believe the last two weeks have allowed me to learn through each of these ways, as well. Prior to our trip we were teaching and learning about Belize in mostly a formal way, then while in Belize we were experiencing mostly non-formal/informal opportunities to learn, and now that I have returned most of my teaching about Belize in the last week has been in the informal setting. We had opportunities throughout the week to learn through experiential learning with our hosts, as can be seen in the included photos. I began to realize that the way we were learning through these experiences, were the same way that the "students" in this setting were learning. Whether it was a youth at Mopan Technical High School or a child in a Mayan family, they were learning in the way that the "educator" believed was best for that situation (formal, non-formal, informal). There are deep underlying philosophies of education, life purpose, and more involved in these decisions, and I am thankful that I had 9 days of experiences in Belize AND now I have a lifetime to reflect and share these experiences with others through my own opportunities to educate others!

John Ewing is an agricultural teacher educator at Penn State University. He can be reached via email at jce122@psu.edu

Post Trip Blog: The Full Experience (Kurtis)

First off, this post definitely won't actually cover the full experience. There were too many highs and lows, early mornings and late nights, and good food and non-vegetarian options (oops) to explain the whole trip in detail.

This was my first international trip in which I felt immersed in the country's culture. In high school, I traveled to Haiti for a missions trip, but we were very sheltered from the rest of the country, and did not leave the orphanage we stayed at very often. That being said, I understand that a week-long experience only allows for so much cultural education. From staying in San Ignacio and walking around downtown, to staying in the Toledo district surrounded by Mayan culture, the experience was both amazing and challenging.

A huge challenge I had was when we stayed in the Toledo district. We stayed at a lodging of the Toledo Ecotourism Association (TEA) in a Mayan community. The lodging was basic, but safe and comfortable. It was refreshing to hear nature so clearly at night, and be able to look up and see the stars so beautifully. After all of these positive aspects, you may be wondering what was challenging. To be honest, the interpersonal reactions we had with the families who hosted us were collectively the most challenging experience. The language barrier and cultural differences made conversation difficult at times.

Two specific interactions which I learned so much from happened our last night and last morning staying at the TEA lodging. The last night, myself and other classmates were sitting on hammocks and playing cards, having some fun before we went to bed. A mother and her daughter, who live in the house behind our lodging, came up and started talking to us and watching us play. After a while, I was confused why they were still with us. It made me think to our cultural education, and how Mayan communities live as a community, rather than as people living together. So, while I viewed our lodging somewhat like a hotel that I was staying in, she saw it as a communal house in which her and the rest of the community invited me to stay in. The second happened the last morning. We were told "breakfast at 7". OK, no big deal. Well, luckily, I was awake at 5:45 and ready by 6, because our hosts came at 6:15 ready to feed us. I was stressed because I had to wake up some of my classmates. Not tell them to get ready faster, I had to actually wake them up. After that, while I was waiting for them to come down so we could leave for breakfast, I realized how I stress unnecessarily about time. (This meal was also where the three vegetarians accidentally ate meat, yikes.)

One final thought, which is very minor compared to all of the things I learned in cultural comparisons, is between the different types of farming in Belize. The first farm we visited, a traditional diversified farm, had bananas. The leaves had brown spots growing from the edges of the leaves. I thought it had something to do with the sun when I first noticed it, but after touring an industrial banana farm on the last day of our trip, I found the real reason. The real problem was revealed by our tour guide; it was a fungus, which the plants on her farm did not suffer from regularly because of fungicide sprays. A very minor observation, but something I thought was interesting.

Being that I want to work internationally after graduation, the cultural and travel experiences I was afforded for this class were invaluable.

Thanks for reading! Come to our final presentation on Monday, March 26th at 4pm in 214 Ferguson Building.

Kurtis Miller is a senior studying Animal Science.

Return Thoughts: Looking Back to Look Forward (Gillian)

Our time in Belize flew by, and I find myself reflecting on a great trip packed with lessons and memories while I shiver from the freezing temperatures and snow in Pennsylvania. I already miss the experiences and sun in Belize but I am so lucky to have had this opportunity and look back on it as a good memory.

Listen, ask, and Experience (to learn!)

Our study abroad trip was way more than just a week-long trip though. I learned lessons and grew as a person, both of which I know will help me down the road, no matter where I go.

I learned how to talk with people. I knew how to before, but not with the same engagement and connection as I experienced in Belize. By finding similarities between us instead of dividing people due to differences, I grew closer to people I had just met and became more comfortable with the conversations once I realized we are all quite similar. I believe this understanding and comfort helped open the conversations to deeper explanations, more questions, and furthered our learning. I can use this lesson to connect with people when I travel, but also around my own town as well. By making connections and deepening conversations and relationships, I will be able to interact with people better, a skill that will be useful in personal or professional relationships, or in daily life.

I learned how to ask questions. Every evening we began to think about what was coming up for the next day and what we were curious about. Allowing myself to think ahead to come prepared allowed me to ask questions that reflected my interest, curiosity, and led to deeper conversations. The ability to ask questions will help me connect with people, explore new experiences, and will deepen my understanding of the things around me.

Not only were the farms producing, but they were absolutely beautiful too!

I learned about agriculture. As the main topic of this trip, this lesson was a bit more expected than the rest, but exciting nonetheless. Touring various types of farms throughout Belize helped me understand similarities and differences within Belizean agriculture and also between agriculture in Belize and the United States. I was quite impressed with the intense knowledge that each farmer has about their farm and their ability to use their lands in a variety of ways: by growing a large variety of crops, by planting trees in specific areas to not only provide fruit but a natural fence line and shade for animals as well, or harvesting for the now while planting and preparing for the future generations to farm.

I also furthered my conversations by asking questions throughout the tours, leading to great questions and answers to my questions. For example, at Mr. Juan’s farm, we started talking about his use of horses in the tourism side of his farm. When he asked what breeds of horses I have and learned that I have quarter horses, we immediately talked about the numerous benefits of the breed and how they are one of his favorites too! However, he did not share my enthusiasm for the thoroughbred which led to more of a pro/con discussion.

The people made this trip extra great!

I learned a lot about myself too and grew in necessary areas for the future. Going into this trip, I was pretty nervous about my ability to travel to the country and then manage everything once I got there. I’ve traveled around the country a lot and have gone out of the country a handful of times, but every trip out of the country has been with my family. This added responsibility posed a new challenge to me, one that I was able to handle! With the support from the professors and other students, the trip went very well. I gained confidence in my ability to travel and manage myself in another country. With this new confidence, I also gained independence as I became more comfortable and felt much better by stepping out of my comfort zone by the end of the trip. Personal growth will help me in my future adventures and travels but also in my school, work, hobbies, relationships… everything!


The lessons were numerous and this trip has definitely been filled with learning and fun. I’m excited to use my new knowledge to connect with people wherever I go while being confident in myself and my abilities. While I miss Belize, the people we met, and the experiences we had, I’m excited to apply these lessons now and in the future. I am so appreciative of this trip and to everyone who made it possible. I’m looking forward to what’s next!

Gillian Warner is a freshman majoring in an interdisciplinary major in the College of Agriculture Sciences at Penn State.

Day 9: My Personal Takeaways (Lex)

The past nine days in Belize have been some of the best of my life. It was educational, enlightening, and most importantly enjoyable. Being able to go beyond the classroom and learn through experience is beyond compare. I love to travel and I feel it is the best way to learn about the world around us. This trip has done nothing but reaffirm that.

I feel my biggest takeaways from this trip, other than the 1,000 bug-bites, would be my ability to interact with the locals. There are three specific moments that I look back on when thinking about how I grew. The first would be our visit to Mopan Tech. We had gone over our presentation the day before and I was really nervous. I hate public speaking and giving presentations. We started our day at the school with a tour before we gave our presentation. The Penn State students were thoughtful and asked questions throughout the tour, but when we were left alone to interact with the students I think we were a little shy or slow to reach out. Not speaking for everybody of course, but I felt this was especially prevalent for me. I didn't know if these kids were going to want to talk to me. It felt awkward for me to walk into their classroom and disturb them from doing their work. When we shifted gears to our presentation nothing felt different. I still didn't think these high schoolers were going to take me seriously seeing that I was the same age they were. I think our group was trying to engage with them but there were some awkward moments when it wasn't working. However, there were some very bright students there that made our jobs easier and participated enthusiastically. I enjoyed visiting Mopan Tech and seeing the things they were doing, but to be honest I was glad that the presentation was over. 

The next experience I look back on was our trip to the San Ignacio Market Wednesday morning. I will try to keep this part brief since this is what I wrote about in my previous blog post, but it is still an important piece in my personal development on this trip. We started in the market as one big group of 8 Penn State students. We all went to the same stand awkwardly asked some of the prices of the foods being sold. Then we split up more into our three groups and Britton, Erin, and I met Daniella. I began to ask her questions on the produce she was selling just like the first vendor. Then I asked her about the local Mayan cuisine. She seemed to light up and began to realize we weren't just tourists but curious students who wanted to learn. She was so happy to share a part of her culture with us. I began to feel much more comfortable and it became a more flowing conversation instead of me just asking about prices. This is the point in the trip I look back on to when I began to switch how I interacted with the locals. Instead of being shy and observing from a distance I wanted to show them that I was curious about their lives. After that, they were more than happy to talk to me.

The third experience I look back to for my development, and also the development of the group, would be the second presentation at the Tumul K'In Center for Learning. I feel that our presentation at the second school was much much better. We were more confident in ourselves and our ability to interact with the students. I felt that I took control with my group to try to get them to participate and enjoy the activity. Once again there were several bright students that made my job easier, but I still feel that overall we did a better job the second time around. In the short moments when our group would be waiting for the others to finish we were able to talk with them and ask questions about their lives and their school. They were so genuinely interested in what we had to say and were able to recognize our curiosity which made them want to share more. Even after the presentation was over, all the Penn State students stayed behind and talked with the students some more. 

With Tumul K'In being a much smaller school (24 students) compared to Mopan Tech (over 500) it was a lot easier to engage with their students on a more personal level. I also really enjoyed our second presentation with the students at Tumul K'In, whereas I was glad to get it over with at Mopan Tech. I was so happy to have a second chance to interact with the Belizean students and learn more about their ambitions. The question "What do you want to do with your life" always scares me and I never know how to respond. Whereas these kids knew exactly what they wanted to do and were eager to share it with us. I am so grateful for this opportunity to come to Belize and interact with such incredible people. Places can be great, but it the people there that make it special. And it's our job as international students to be able to take that extra step to reach out and engage with the people. After all, the best way to learn is by experiencing it first hand. 


Lex is a freshman majoring in BioRenewable Systems/Biological Engineering at Penn State.

Day 9: I can't Belize it is over (Sarah)

With having so much to do and to learn about in the last week some things were strong reoccurring themes. These themes were inclusion of different modes of education, along with education of both male and female youth. With the trip including a visit to a Mayan community, Mopan Technical High School and Tumul K'in Center of Learning, there was a strong connection with many different modes of learning.

At both high schools, the students learned basics that we also cover here in the United States, like math classes. In my high school career, I did not, however, have as much hands-on experience that these two Belizean schools do. At Mopan Technical- the students learned different skills through choosing their path of interest. There were different class paths that students could choose from instead of having set classes with a few elective classes like I did. The students in the agriculture program would take care of their livestock as part of their agriculture class as well as classroom work. The students in some other technical classes went through different stages in their four-year high school programs that allowed different things every year, such as mechanical drawing on paper and then computer work as part of their program. At Tumul K'in Center of Learning- the students had practicals in the morning where they would wake up early and learn different hands-on skills before becoming engaged in classroom work. These practicals include every student and have them physically participate in the traditions and methods of their Maya people. The Center of Learning showed the Penn State group a traditional dance and then taught us the dance through participation, something that some other schools in Belize do not teach to their students.

Another mode of education was how several of the farmers taught their children about their farms. One of the farmers named Manuel said that he planted mahogany trees, especially for his children to come back later and harvest, like the mahogany trees in his fields. This type of hands-on education from one generation to the next about farming also applied to the cooking that was being done in the Mayan community that we stayed in for a couple of days. At one of the houses, the smaller group that I was with met a family with a young child who was already learning to make tortilla by watching her mother and playing with some of the dough. By the time that little girl is starting school, she will also be learning a lot from the people that her community welcomes in, just like our Penn State group. Her older sister Stacey talked to our group and seemed very interested to learn about our culture as well as share her own with our group.

When speaking about inclusion, both schools, Mopan Technical High School and Tumul K'in Center of Learning, included both their male and female students in many, if not all, aspects of their classes. At Mopan Technical High School, the day that our Penn State group took the tour, it was the girls turn to clean out the chicken pens; the boys had cleaned out the pens the time before. The girls did not hesitate to get to work and participate in this part of their class. One of the girls that lead our tour around the school said that some of the girls do not always enjoy doing the hands-on part of the class, but the tasks were still done. At Tumul K'in Center of Learning, all students did the morning practicals that entailed many tasks that may have been seen as a male-specific or female-specific roles in the past such as machete field clearing or cooking. The day that our Penn State group went to the Center of Learning we asked what they did for their morning practicals and were told that they had been doing machete work. Then after all of their students took part in their practicals, one of the boys went to help the cook make breakfast.


Sarah Miller is senior majoring in Agricultural Science at Penn State, with minors in International Agriculture and Sustainability Leadership

Day 8: Orange You Glad I Didn't Say Banana (Kryslynne)

Today we got the chance to tour a local banana farm. Being involved in the fruit farming industry myself I noticed a lot of similarities and differences between the two farms. Also, I had somewhat of an idea what we were walking into when we went into the field. Even though I'm not as knowledgeable on the fruit growing in tropical climates I was still super excited to learn more about how they do things here in Belize.

On the banana farm, the growers prune or trim the trees after they remove the bunch of bananas. Even though we don't prune our trees after every picking we do make sure they are at least trimmed back once a year. This helps the plant regenerate growth by cutting off the "suckers". Suckers can be branches, leaves, or roots that just suck up all the water and nutrients taking away from the plant itself. If you don't cut off the suckers the plant will suffer. 

One difference I noticed between the two farms is how they distribute pesticides. The farm uses a plane that fly's over the fields distributing the pesticides. Back home at our farm, we use a pull behind sprayer that is attached to a tractor. Both methods have their own benefits but I don't think our farm would be able to use planes as a way to spray no matter how cool that would be. 

After touring the banana farm I personally think it would be easier to grow one fruit than numerous ones like I do. We grow so many different types and varieties of fruits that we have to know a lot more about each individual tree. For example, I don't just need to know how to thin an apple tree I have to also know how to thin a peach or nectarine tree as well. Plus there are numerous varieties of peaches or apples that must be cared for differently. So the fact that they can focus on one type of fruit sounds more appealing to me( lol get it bananas, appealing? no okay). Don't get me wrong, I love fruit farming and I love my farm, but I do think the way they do things is less challenging.

Kryslynne Vroman is a sophomore majoring in Agricultural Education and Extension at Penn State University Park 

Day 8: Banana Trees? No Way! (Olivia)

On our final day in the beautiful country of Belize, we concluded with an exciting tour of Bunches of Fun banana farm, which was something that I was particularly interested in considering my academic emphasis on plant sciences. I went into the tour unsure of how I would be able to connect tropical fruit agriculture with American farming practices; however, I quickly realized that there were far more similarities than differences.

First, our tour guide Evin was an Oklahoma native who did her undergraduate in Agricultural Communications from Oklahoma State University. Clad in her Twisted X moccasins and bright blonde hair, I couldn't help but see a little bit of myself in her. The Belizean transplant found her way to the Caribbean country through an internship, similar to my recent international internship experience in Norway this past summer. 

Throughout the tour, Evin taught us about the morphology of banana plants, common production practices, and environmental stewardship efforts. The first thing that I learned is that bananas are a member of the grass family, so technically there is no such thing as a banana tree because it lacks a woody stem. This is similar to American grains, such as corn and wheat, which are also members of the grass family. 

She also taught us that field waste is composted for six months and then reapplied to banana plants in the field so that nutrients that are taken from the plant can be reintroduced to the soil. I know that all of the students on the trip are interested in environmental conservation and stewardship so this particular aspect of the tour really resonated with my fellow students and me. 

Belize has been an incredible opportunity for me to expand upon my appreciation of global agricultural systems. Agriculture has played a vital role in the development of each and every society, but this trip has taught me that agriculture doesn't necessarily have to look "American" in order for it to be productive. Previously, I never would have considered bananas as a critical part of the global agricultural systems. However, I have now realized that agriculture takes many shapes and sizes. Many thanks to my new friend Evin for teaching me that valuable lesson. Go Pokes!

Olivia is a sophomore majoring in Agricultural Sciences at Penn State 

Day 7: New Day in Tumul K'in (Britton)

As I arrived at the Tumul K'in Center of Learning I made the connection that during this trip we would be attending a traditional Mayan High School, and this was it. I think it was the second sentence that Mr. Pop said that Tomulkin meant a new day in the native Mayan Language. 

This is when it hit me like a bus, that it was not only a new day for myself but a new experience, unlike anything I have ever experienced before. When I first arrived at the school I realized that there were only four students in the first year (9th grade) and they were all girls! I was talking to two of the four girls in the first year and they were telling me that they have the job of caring for the garden. The school has its own garden, this was something that didn't totally surprise me, but the next part did. That was when Mr. Pop made the statement that the school grows its own produce to use in the kitchen of the school. The produce supplies the students with 3 meals for 10 days. The students live on the school grounds and are there for 10 days followed by going home with to their families for four days. This was the first part of my new day and brand new experience.

While touring the learning center I came across so many new experiences and new ideas that I would have never thought would be found in this Mayan school. The fourth-year students all have their own projects, this is relatable to back home having a senior project in high school. The students were really passionate about their projects due to being able to choose the type of agriculture that they are most passionate about. While on the tour I tried something new, something I knew wouldn't end well, but it was a living on the edge moment. I ate a HABANERO pepper, it made my face feel like it was on fire, and fire should have been coming out of my mouth.

Sure I should have known not to eat the habanero, BUT I knew that if I didn't try it then I never would. I never wanted to think back to my NEW DAY and wonder what the Habanero pepper tasted like. After the Habanero experience, I got to continue my new day with new experiences and actually got to take part in a dance class that the fourth year students presented to us. I never felt more reliant on another person before, without my partner Anthony I was lost. I feel like without this experience I would be lost. This was a new day for myself and I know that taking the jump into the new experience it will bring me more new adventures and NEW DAYS for my future students in my future classroom.

Britton is a sophomore majoring in Agriculture Extension Education major at Penn State.

Day 7: Living a Legacy (Erin)

"Legacy; What is a legacy? It's planting seeds in a garden you never get to see." 

-Lin Manuel Miranda

In the way that I am obsessed with the musical Hamilton, Alexander Hamilton was obsessed with his legacy, and what he will leave behind. Day seven was filled with the concept of leaving behind a legacy for others. A moment in time seeing the work put forth towards the future.

In the morning we went to Tumul K'in Center of Learning. Tumul K'in translates to "A New Day" and it's foundation was built on teaching students Mayan values. The Mayan community saw a generational gap between the young, and old. They decided that they didn't want to leave behind their Mayan heritage and their legacy. In turn, the learning center was built. Students came to the center for high school, and along with regular classes, students learned the local Mayan languages and traditions. It was an amazing experience to see students so young living out the legacy their ancestors left before them.

Later in the day, we had a discussion with Mayan farmers. The question of "What do you see for the future of your farm?" was posed. The farmers explained that farming had been a part of their culture for generations. They had hoped that their children might some day take over. I saw a connection to farming in the United States. There's an increasing disconnect between the farmer and the consumer. People everyday are leaving the farm to explore other opportunities. It's a reminder that all of us, Alexander Hamilton, Mayan farmers, my classmates, myself, and everyone out there, has no idea what their legacy will be. We just need to keep working towards leaving behind something positive.

Erin Langdale is a sophomore studying Agricultural and Extension Education at The Pennsylvania State University.

Day 6: Dwayne's a cool dude (Kurtis)

A good bit of this post won't be about anything from the itinerary, which I think is a beautiful aspect of travelling. You see, this morning before breakfast, Lex and I were waiting for the girls to come down so we could all walk to breakfast together. The owner of the hotel we were staying at, Dwayne, invited us into his office for some coffee. I started a conversation with him about something intriguing about his office - how he has a picture of the Obama family and a picture of Trump hanging in his office. I asked him about it and we started a conversation about politics (the day before was Belize's election day). He shared that he thinks Trump was a good idea for America; he thinks we needed a change because we continue having "establishment politicians" as he shared. I found this intriguing and controversial as, in my opinion, Trump is very American-focused and could threaten developing countries by not providing as much support.

Another very interesting piece of information Dwayne shared was about agricultural development in Belize. Dwayne used to be a rice farmer, farming approximately 200 acres. He shared with us that, while the US does not provide subsidies or support to Belize for its agriculture, European countries directly subsidize farmers in Belize. He did tell me a concern, however, which was that those subsidies will be ending soon. Belize has tried to support its farmers for when this day comes by improving infrastructure in Belize's "Banana Belt", by building more and better roads, and increasing access to electricity in the area.

After breakfast, we drove to our accommodations in Toledo district - a cabin maintained by a Mayan village. It was a challenging experience for me and most of the other students because we had had wifi at all of the other lodging places, and now we would be without any technology for 2-3 days. As soon as we had unloaded our bags, we went straight to our farm tour for the day with Manuel. Manuel is a Mayan farmer who has learned all of his practices through experience and knowledge passed down by his family. He produces cacao, nutmeg, corn, beans, squash, sugar cane, pineapples, and many edible palms. Something I found intriguing is how little the corn and beans he grows have changed in the past 100 years or so. This is a stark contrast to American varieties of these crops, which have changed so much in just the past 20 years. Manuel held differing opinions about education and agriculture than me, which challenged me. He strongly supports education, but still wants Mayan children to come back to the farm after they have finished their higher education. This seems counter intuitive, as education is frequently used as a tool to lift people out of subsistence farming.

The last thing I'd like to share about is our tour of the Marie Sharp's hot sauce factory. By this time on the trip, I had already fallen in love with their hot sauce and was putting it on every meal available. It was a fairly typical facilities tour, but two important take-aways I had were how Marie Sharp refuses to overly-automate her factory because it would put people out of their jobs, and she wants to provide jobs for as many people as possible. The second nugget of information is a comparison. During my internship last summer, the company required employees doing strenuous jobs with their hands to perform light physical therapy at least once a shift. Marie Sharp's requires the same of their employees when they are doing repetitive and stressful hand motions. I saw this as a great comparison between working environments in America and Belize, and as a way to break stereotypes. Before this trip, knowing Belize was considered a developing country, I had an expectation that working environments would be different than in the US. I'm very glad I had my ignorance of Belize challenged, and had this opportunity to learn from its people.

Kurt is a senior in Animal Science major at Penn State.

Day 6: Manuel's Farm (Gillian)

Visiting Manuel's farm in Laguna on Thursday showed the values found within the Mayan community and served as a good reminder of values that I find important and hope to strive for in my life as well. Hard work, community, peace, and protection of the natural resources are just some key values that I was lucky enough to see in practice.

There's no doubt that Manuel works hard. His beautiful farm is covered with plants and crops that he cares for, manages, and harvests. Situated with terrain and heat and a number of different obstacles such as narrow paths, Manuel spends a lot of time working with his extensive knowledge to keep the farm running. Meanwhile, he also works to prepare for the future by planting for his children to take over once they come back to the farm after education.

A strong sense of community was also found throughout the day. Manuel and the family I had lunch with discussed the importance of helping one another. A perfect example is replacing the thatched roof every few years. If a few men come together, they can complete the whole process in half a day! It definitely shows that we're stronger as a team, something I've seen within our group this week as well. We have all become close and help each other out to make sure we're prepared for the experience... and have enough sunscreen!

Although it might not have been obvious, there was a sense of peace at the farm. I've heard many times that being outside is good for the mind and body, and Manuel's description of his connection to the land truly shows that belief. He feels that by eating what he produces and drinking the water from the creek he has remained healthy. Connecting to the natural world that way is incredibly powerful and cleansing. I know I've felt my worries drift away when I'm outside!

Finally, protecting that connection with nature requires the protection of natural resources. Hearing that conservation is a value within the community is really inspiring as it's something I care about deeply as well.

This farm visit was very special to me as it gave me the opportunity to learn about and see values of the Mayan community in practice. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I value similar things. Finding common ground and similarities despite some differences helps us to understand, appreciate, and further connections. I'm excited to apply this new information in future interactions!

Gillian Warner is a freshman majoring in an interdisciplinary major
in the College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State.

Day 5: Marie Sharp's (Sarah)

Throughout the trip in Belize so far, my classmates and I have been interacting with many different forms of education. Today we were able to engage in informal and non-formal education through different outlets, including a non-formal tour at Marie Sharp's hot sauce factory.

The tour leader, Danny, had asked the group if we were students and where we were from. At hearing our reply, he told about how he had never been out of his country of Belize and has never seen snow. Danny said that he might eventually travel out of Belize, but he probably wouldn't go to somewhere with snow. He then continued to tell us, later in the tour, how he was thinking of going back to school since he has only his associates degree. A degree that he was able to receive while at school in Belize, but furthering his education would mean that he would have to travel to another country.

This non-formal interaction also included explanations of the hot sauce process, along with a background of the company. Danny told how the women that work in the hot sauce factory are still employed because Marie refused to upgrade to machines that would have replaced the workers. Marie had a purposed plan for the machine but put the plans to the side when her workers would have nowhere else in the factory to work. To this day (mainly female) workers process the fresh produce in the factory and cut the vegetables by hand for hours during their workday.

Marie Sharp's company prides themselves on being not only a productive company that brings in a large revenue but also a company that provides a livelihood for their factory workers and their farmers.


Sarah Miller is a Penn State Senior majoring in Agricultural Sciences.

Day 5: San Ignacio Market (Lex)

Today marks the midway point of our AEE 499: Indigenious Knowledge in Agriculture and Extension Education trip to Belize. We started off the day with a challenge task from our C.E.L.A. Belize guide Lauren to exploring the San Ignacio Market. The eight students split into three groups.

Group 3, made up of Britton, Erin, and myself, set out to create a nutritiously balanced meal from the ingredients in the market. We were given a $10 Belizean Dollar budget (the conversion rate to US dollars is 2 to 1). Our group originally planned to create a hypothetical meal and determine the prices for the ingredients. For example, I wanted to know the price difference for beans versus eggs in order to decide what our protein would be. Of course, these prices depend on the variety of beans and the eggs.

After trying to plan an American inspired meal without much success, I decided to ask one of the vendors what might be a local Mayan dish that would meet our nutritional needs. A conversation began between the vendor (Daniella), the students (Britton, Erin, and myself), and a lovely customer willing to share. She explained to us the recipe for Caldo which is a local soup that includes chicken, onions, cilantro, lime, jalapeños, and corn flour for homemade tortillas. With every ingredient listed, there was more and more knowledge that came with it.

In Belize, they have “Local” chicken and “Normal” chicken. Local chicken are raised traditionally, allowed to roam free. Whereas normal chicken are raised by Mennonites with more modern techniques like in the United States. The quality between these two are very distinct. The price for local chicken eggs in the market is $12 per tray, whereas normal eggs are $7 per tray (all Belizean currency). Our group began talking with a local customer and she explained to us that even though the local eggs are higher quality, she still buys the normal eggs because they are cheaper. However, on special occasions such as Christmas, she will pay the extra price to cook for the extended family.

Being able to have this type of interaction with the locals gave me access to information that I would never have thought to ask for. As an example of informal education, I was able to extract some indigenous knowledge from the brains of the locals that I might not have been able to learn in the classroom or on a farm tour. It was truly an enlightening experience.

Lex is a freshman majoring in BioRenewable Systems/Biological Engineering

Day 4: An UnBELIZEable Classroom Visit! (Olivia)

Picture livestock milling about in a lush green courtyard, children happily bantering in crisp, pressed uniforms, and passionate instructors with a passion for bettering their county and you’ll have pictured Mopan Technical High School, a trade school situated a few miles from the Guatemalan border.

Today my friends and I make the trek to MTHS to tour their facilities and interact with Belizean agriculture students. I was particularly excited for this opportunity because just like the Belizean students at Mopan Tech, I also attended trade school prior to coming to college.

During my time at MTHS, we learned about the hands-on opportunities that the school had to offer. For example, the agricultural students slaughtered their flock of chickens the day before we came to tour, they sell all of the produce that they grow, and even had a pond full of tilapia. This was strikingly similar to the goal of self-sufficiency that my own trade school had back home in the states.

Another similarity that I saw between Belizean vocational school and American vocational school was the passion that the instructors had for their students. Each classroom that we visited, regardless of the trade that was involved, was focused on innovation. And even though in the American context we tend to emphasize technological innovation over more traditional knowledge, innovation was nonetheless a crucial portion of their curriculum.

Finally, the highlight of my day had to have been my opportunity to speak with students. A particularly memorable conversation that I had was with one of our student tour guides. When I asked her why she chose agriculture, she told me that she enjoyed the challenge, loved to work the earth, and didn’t mind getting sweaty with the boys. She aspires to continue her education either in Honduras or the United States so that she can “make a big impact on her country someday.” It was in this moment that I truly saw a lot of myself in this young pupil, from her sheer grit to her passion for the industry. I have no doubt that she will accomplish many great, impactful things.

I have learned numerous important life lessons during my time in Belize, but so far my time at Mopan Technical High School has taken the cake. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to compare and contrast the Belizean and American education system than in a context that I have personally participated in myself. From the facilities, to the instructors, to the students themselves, I have no doubt that the future of Belizean agriculturalists are cultivated in the soil at Mopan Tech.

Olivia Richart is a sophomore majoring in Agricultural Sciences at Penn State.