Dr. Penados shared his enthusiasm with us in a short interview at the C.E.L.A. office on his take on Studying Abroad in Belize. He has been a part of the C.E.L.A. Family from the very start as one of the founders of the establishment, to now being the Academic Director. He is also directly involved in several Faculty-Led Groups and aids in teaching Agriculture and Indigenous studies to several student groups every year.
Many students know Dr. Penados through his lectures, both locally and abroad at several universities in the USA and Canada. He expressed that many of his students are eager to come back or visit Belize for internships after listening in on some of his lectures.
Engaged Learning is something that Dr. P stresses very heavily in his work. While traditional methods for education are key, he believes that students learn best by entering the field and doing work here in Belize that they would not have been able to do back home. From working on farms, holding a cacao pod for the first time and even seeing the grand Maya sites of Belize, students get a real feel of what their studies are through getting their hands 'dirty'.
As a professor, he believes that Belize is a unique place to study abroad. "Apart from our official language being English, which gives us a hand over many other study abroad destination, Belize is also located close to where many of our students come from, The United States and Canada." He continues to say that " Belize is also a great destination for diversity. Students get to learn about many cultures, languages, foods, and destination in just this small little country. This helps students go back with a better sense of self and appreciation for the world outside of their comfort.
We asked Dr. P to describe Belize in his own words to potential students, to which he replied with our new slogan "Belize is Our Classroom"
To learn more about Dr. Penados and our other members of staff and faculty, visit us here.
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