High School Winners

The world is in our hands, and as humans, we must take care of it for ourselves and future generations. Belize, a beautiful country, is experiencing deforestation and pollution, leading to the extinction of many unique species. The country’s beautiful reef and underwater species are also being spoiled due to pollution. My art piece highlights the importance of conserving and preserving our waters and forests, as well as the importance of love and respect for each other. To make the world a better place, we must spread positivity and avoid negativity. Violence is not the answer, and we must help each other to make the world a better place. Spreading positivity and kindness is key to change, and while the world is changing rapidly, we should not give up old values. We should keep both old and new values in mind and work together for a better future for everyone.

Belize has been changing the world through its conservation efforts by reducing carbon emissions. Our nation is home to the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere, which bestows numerous benefits to us. Beyond being a habitat and breeding ground for marine life, it also shields us from erosion and natural disasters. By safeguarding our homeland, we have actively contributed to preserving species and promoting biodiversity. For instance, Belize has established marine reserves and implemented sustainable fishing practices to conserve our ecosystem. These proactive measures not only protect our natural resources, but also serve as a model for other countries in the global fight against climate change. The artwork I’ve submitted for this competition symbolizes the fruits of Belize’s efforts in mitigating global warming. I firmly believe that our small nation can inspire other nations by promoting conservation.

In Belize, we struggle with many problems. My art project clearly shows that I focused on discrimination, poverty, and deforestation, which are displayed in the top bubbles. The other bubbles showcase solutions to help the world. It shows that we should not discriminate, as we are all born unique. We can teach the younger generations about equality, inclusiveness, and respect for others. Poverty affects many people and some positive things we can do are donating to charities and NGOs, hosting fundraising events, and giving basic needs back to the community. Lastly, deforestation affects everyone but can be prevented by planting trees and doing educational campaigns. We can prevent pollution by cleaning up the beaches. The Belize flag background shows that Belizeans can make a change which can impact the world if we work in unity and have one goal. The blue colour represents the protected barrier reef which shows the beauty of our marine life.

My painting depicts how changing Belize can impact the world, with the flag of Belize and national symbols as the background. Instead of the Coat of Arms, I drew the world with people uniting to make a change and highlighting our beautiful map of Belize. On the map, I illustrated how we can make a change within each district as an example to the world. Corozal District- clean our environment, Orange Walk District- stop air pollution, Belize District- stop gun violence, Cayo District- stop deforestation and plant trees, Stann Creek District- protect our water and marine life, Toledo District- educate our indigenous people to protect and teach our children. As a country, no matter how small we are, we can make a change.

My vision shows several Belizean products prominently advertised on international industrial buildings. One of Belize’s main goal is to improve exposure of Belizean products locally and globally. Our government supports the well-known slogan “Buy Belizean and/or keep Belizean dollars at home.”  In addition, our Belizean products are becoming more and more easily accessible on the international markets. Advertisements build awareness and subsequent demand for these products. With the positive effects of advertising and proximity to the US, the increase in demand will stimulate our economy dramatically, not only through our vital tourism but also in our industrial and agricultural industries. Belizeans and tourists who love and enjoy our quality Belizean products and services will ultimately be the greatest influence towards “CHANGING BELIZE, IMPACTING THE WORLD”.

My country Belize, a unique place to be, with different breathtaking places and memories to cherish forever. We need to work together to keep our country clean and plastic free. As adults, we must be the example for our kids. We must teach them to plant trees, ride a bike or go walking, which benefits their health. We need to change Belize little by little, so that in the end, it makes an impact to the world and encourages motivation for others to follow in our footsteps.  If we want to see our country blossom, we need to take action so we all may live a sustainable future.

Belize is my home, caring and protecting our resources should be our goal along with inspiring others. In my art, I show how important it is to teach kids about the environment, recycling, and preserving our resources. These actions help us make a positive difference in the world. 

We know that climate change is a big problem, so we must learn how to tackle it. We must take action against rising sea levels and extreme weather. We love our plants and animals, so we must learn how to protect it and reduce pollution in our land, water, and air. 

Through my art, I want to make the world a better place. I want to highlight what I know about education and protecting the environment. I hope that other countries will become inspired by what we’re doing and join us in taking care of our world. Together, we can make the world a better place for everyone. 

Belize is a beautiful country located in Central America. Years ago, people were not aware about this country, but now it is becoming more popular, especially as a tourist destination. My artwork depicts ways how we can change our country. Some ways we can do this is to clean up the garbage, avoid using single-use plastic, put litter in its correct place, plant trees, and do home gardening. All these things reduce the effects of greenhouse gas emissions that go into the atmosphere that cause climate change, which causes droughts, severe storms, and hot weather. When people visit Belize, they will admire and enjoy our paradise and see the changes that we are doing and the importance of it. So, when they return to their homes, they can do the same and tell others of their awesome experience. No matter how young, everyone is capable of changing Belize, and by doing that we can impact the world.

“Changing Belize, Impacting the World”, a quote that inspired the meaningful drawing I created, depicting a reflective picture. I had the idea to create a reflection of my country Belize to the world. The top half of the drawing that is black and white represents Belize. It expresses the resolution of life, while the bottom half is vibrant, radiant, and blooming. While a tree may wither and die, it will leave seeds behind to create new life, and so will Belize. Having an eco-friendly environment reduces climate change as forests, soil, and other natural properties absorb emissions created by humans. Doing something as little as being able to plant a tree to prevent deforestation is helping not only Belize, but the world. With the help of spreading awareness to others, it is possible to restore our planet Earth back to a safe and healthy home. 

Belize is a beautiful country with diverse cultures, rich in beauty, breathtaking flora and fauna, and crystal clear beaches. Today, a lot of things are changing, and there is a lot of pollution in the environment. Everywhere you can see single-use plastics, styrofoam plates, plastic straws, etc. Also, a lot of cutting of trees, environmental mismanagement, and other factors are negatively affecting our country. We need to come together and work to better our beautiful country. With a step-by-step action plan and community volunteers, we can start working so that we make an impact to the world. All the help counts; it’s for our future generation so that we can have a better and safer environment. 

Our climate is changing faster than predicted. Scorching heatwaves, severe flooding, record wildfires, and rising seas- these consequences of climate change are hitting us already and will negatively impact us in the future. We still have time to change course and can avoid dire impacts of climate change. We need to act together. Here’s how:

• Use less energy at home
• Walk, bike, or take public transport
• Plant more trees
• Switch to electric vehicles
• Reduce, reuse, repair and recycle
• Encourage communities and businesses to use renewable energy

We need to empower people, communities, and businesses with easy and affordable actions to achieve a healthier and greener world, where carbon emissions are reduced, and the climate is no longer in crisis. We should put forward stronger national climate commitments that will put us on a path to collectively reach net-zero emissions. In this process, Belize will ensure a bright future for our children and all life on earth.

Belize is known for its beautiful wildlife and marine life, but we will mostly focus on its marine life. As we all know, Belize has the second longest Barrier Reef in the world. This barrier reef faces many daily threats, such as offshore drilling, releasing of toxic liquids, and disposal of garbage. The barrier reef is home to many species of sea creatures and has attracted the eyes of tourists and marine biologists across the world. The protection and care for the reef should be taken more seriously, and we have to set an example across the world to maintain its vibrant colors and sea life.

Belize has amazing and attractive sites; but like so many countries, it suffers from several social issues. Let’s chisel out these issues and make changes. Our prideful jaguar roars out for us to follow the Go Green movement. The colorful scarlet macaw soars across the sky pleading to us to recycle. The semicolon in the toucan eyes reminds us of those who suffer with mental illness. It sees their struggles and a future where they are all survivors. Financial insecurity plagues many families, and providing food security eases their burden.  

Exposing our youths, especially young girls, to become involved with STEM allows them to look towards the possibilities and opportunities. Let’s raise a toast to people of our past, those movers and shakers. Let’s be loud so the world tunes in to listen, no more whispering. Be the change, be the example for the world to follow. 

Belize is a very small and blessed country with a lot to offer.  Among its assets are its flourishing forests, its captivating wildlife, awe-inspiring biodiversity, and its melting pot of different cultures with hard-working individuals in different professions. I portrayed challenges faced by Belize and the world on the sides such as pollution and lack of education. I also illustrated Belize’s assets inside the Belize Map. If all cultures and professions join in taking care with properly allocating the resources of our country, we can make positive changes for our jewel as we impact the world. I illustrated farmers, teachers, marine divers, and soldiers as their hard work greatly impacts our economy, improves our education system, protects marine life and our minerals for our present and future generations. 

Throughout the years, the world has undergone many changes that have influenced our country, Belize. Civilization has grown, and our quality of life has vastly improved. My drawing conveys the many natural beauties of Belize, such as the tropical forests, landscape, Caribbean Sea, flora, and fauna. At the same time, it presents the developing infrastructure of Belize City, which is one of the main ports for tourists visiting our country by sea who travel by cruise line. Particularly in my drawing, a Carnival Cruise Ship is portrayed docking in the port of Belize City. It is no surprise that the city has grown over the years, and in the coming years, it will surely continue to flourish as well as the whole country of Belize. Our goal is to preserve its beauty and to continue developing Belize as an attractive site for the rest of the world.