The Rotary Club of Ambergris Caye has announced Teacher Delvi Flores of Holy Cross Anglican School Belize as the recipient of its first-ever Educator of the Year Award, recognizing the profound impact educators have on the lives of students across the island.
According to Rotary representatives, the award was created as part of the organization’s renewed focus on education after conducting a SWOT analysis and strategic planning process earlier this year. The Club identified education as one of the most important areas needing support on Ambergris Caye, particularly as the island continues to grow and schools face increasing challenges with overcrowded classrooms and limited teaching resources.
“We realized how much education is an area that needs support here on the island,” Rotary shared. “We all know the gap that exists between the amount of classroom space available and the number of children living here. We also know the challenges schools face in securing enough teachers, with many educators commuting from the mainland to teach here.”
The Rotary Club said that while discussing ways to support education, they wanted to ensure teachers themselves were being recognized and appreciated for the work they do daily.
“We really wanted to focus on the teachers and highlight the amazing work they do,” Rotary explained. “Teachers are one of those professions where people constantly give above and beyond, and we felt they deserved to be celebrated.”
Teacher Appreciation by Rotary Club
Mia Cortez of STD 6 Class speaks on behalf of her class to Teacher Delvi: “Thank you for your kindness, patience and dedication in helping us learn every day. You make the classroom a place where we feel supported, encouraged and inspired to do our best. Your hard work and care for us does not go unnoticed and we are very grateful to have you as our teacher.”
The initiative first began with a Teacher Appreciation Breakfast during Teacher Appreciation Week, an event Rotary noted had not traditionally been celebrated in a major way on the island. From there, the idea for an Educator of the Year Award naturally developed.
Unlike many public awards driven by popularity contests or online voting, the Rotary Club designed the selection process to center entirely on students and their experiences with their teachers.
“This award was based solely on the voices of students,” Rotary explained. “No names, no titles, no outside influence. The student submissions were the only thing evaluated because we wanted their voices to matter the most.”
Students were invited to submit written nominations explaining how a teacher impacted their lives. Rotary shared the call for nominations publicly through social media, the San Pedro Town Council, and directly with schools across the island. Former students were also allowed to nominate past teachers.
In total, approximately 20 nominations were received, with some educators being nominated multiple times. Rotary members then conducted a blind ranking process, evaluating only the written student submissions without knowing which teacher they were reviewing until the final scores were tallied.
Island teachers with multiple nominations included Iris, Perez, Shaniky Campos, Delmy Gomez, Angie Ellis, Reynaldo Rivero, Andy Nuñez and Ariani Gongora
“It really was the voice of the students that made the decision,” Rotary emphasized. “These students are the future doctors, nurses, teachers, business owners, and leaders of this island. We wanted the impact teachers have on them to speak the loudest.”
Teacher Delvi emerged as this year’s winner through that process, earning praise for dedication, care, and commitment to students at Holy Cross School Belize. The Rotary Club says the award will now become an annual tradition, allowing students each year to recognize educators who have made a meaningful difference in their lives.
The organization also highlighted the positive community response the initiative received, noting that many educators celebrated one another publicly once nominations were shared online.
“That’s really what this was all about,” Rotary said. “Seeing students express gratitude for teachers who changed their lives, while also seeing educators celebrate each other, was something very special. We have incredible teachers on this island, and they deserve to be recognized.”
The Rotary Club hopes the initiative continues to strengthen support for education on Ambergris Caye while shining a light on the educators helping shape the next generation of the community.
