 unit thanks to assistance from the Rotary Club of Ambergris Caye.){kind=link}
On August 13th, New Horizon Pre-School in the Escalante Subdivision received an air-conditioning (AC) unit thanks to assistance from the Rotary Club of Ambergris Caye. The club collaborated with local stakeholders to carry out the project, which aims to alleviate heat-related concerns and provide students with a cooler, more comfortable learning environment.
According to a proposal from the club, the initiative to acquire the AC unit was prompted by the needs of four-year-old Kylen Shanarah Eiley and her classmates. Eiley has epilepsy and experiences seizures, with excessive heat potentially increasing the likelihood of an episode. The Rotary Club of Ambergris Caye therefore saw an opportunity to help by providing an AC unit to create a safer and more suitable environment for Eiley while also benefiting her 20 classmates and their teachers.
Through the generosity of ATM Hardware, the club secured the unit at a discounted price. A certified air-conditioning professional from Alford Cool Energy Electric also donated his time to install the unit.
Principal Liz Sansores told The San Pedro Sun that the assistance will help students learn in a cooler and more comfortable space. “When students are exposed to extreme heated conditions, they tend to lose focus,” she said. “Thus, the AC unit will assist with better behavior and emotional regulation.” Classes are scheduled to resume on September 1st.
The Rotary Club noted that the investment will benefit the well-being of all the students in the classroom. “While Eiley’s circumstances have brought this need to our attention, we believe the issue extends far beyond one classroom,” a member of the club noted.
Many preschools and early childhood classrooms in San Pedro Town face the challenge of providing cool and comfortable learning environments in Belize’s tropical climate. The island nonprofit organization hopes this donation can serve as a starting point for a broader community initiative to improve classroom cooling throughout La Isla Bonita.
The club added that a Rotary-supported program could, over time, help identify classrooms with the greatest need and assist schools in obtaining and installing energy-efficient AC units. Such a program could prioritize classrooms serving young children, children with medical or special needs, and schools that currently lack adequate means of cooling their learning spaces.
“Every child deserves a classroom where they can learn, play, and feel comfortable and safe,” the club noted.