PwC Sends Partners, Staff and Interns to Belize to Boost Financial Literacy Among Students and Teachers

NEW YORK, July 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Two hundred PwC partners, staff and interns from across the United States will travel to Belize City, Belize, as part of "Project Belize," an innovative international experience generated from PwC's broader commitment to youth education and leadership development.  The initiative builds on a three-year relationship with schools in Belize City, and is primarily focused on financial literacy and environmental sustainability.

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From July 9-14, the PwC team will connect with more than 1,200 students in 10 schools in Belize and focus on four areas of development:

1. Hosting a youth financial literacy camp to teach students the basics of banking and budget management.
2. Leading a scholar's mentoring program for current and former Belizean students who have received PwC education scholarships.
3. Providing financial and technology training to teachers to expand professional capacity.
4. Building 'Learning Landscape' playgrounds using re-purposed materials to reinforce core subjects, social skills, and leadership through games and fun physical activity.

"Project Belize not only makes a lasting intellectual and socioeconomic impact on the children of Belize, but also provides our people an opportunity to demonstrate responsible leadership as they share and develop their skills, mentor children and teachers, and build intercultural competence in a growing global marketplace," said Shannon Schuyler, corporate responsibility leader at PwC. "The program allows us to leverage the firm's intellectual capacity and talent to develop the next generation of leaders—reinforcing our culture of giving back and creating lasting value."

Since 2008, PwC has provided educational support to thousands of students in Belize. In the project's first year, the PwC team refurbished four schools and built a leadership development center that included a library and computer lab. In 2009 and 2010, PwC team members reconnected with hundreds of students in Belize virtually through a letter exchange, a donation drive that resulted in more than five tons of school supplies and a scholarship program that helped 180 Belizean students pay for their first year of high school. The 2010 program also included a $25,000 donation to the Ministry of Education to fund educational programs. To learn more about Project Belize and follow participants during this year's effort, click here.

For more information about the PwC's overall corporate responsibility commitment, visit:

www.pwc.com/us/CorporateResponsibility  

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SOURCE PwC