Year-Long Applications for 2026-2027 : Open
Year-Long Application for 2026-2027 Deadline: February 15th, 2026
Serving with SOLT at Mount Carmel High School or John Paul the Great College in Benque Viejo del Carmen, Belize, is a deeply immersive and transformative mission experience. Tucked in the lush hills near the Guatemalan border, the tight-knit, faith-filled town of Benque is warm, welcoming, and rich in Belizean culture and history. At the schools that SOLT serves, education and evangelization go hand-in-hand. Missionaries live and serve in the heart of the community, teaching, tutoring, mentoring students, and supporting school activities—all while sharing the love of Jesus Christ in both word and action in order to make disciples.
At Mount Carmel High School, you’ll work alongside local teachers and SOLT missionaries to help form students. At the high school there are weekly Masses, times of Adoration, retreats, extracurricular activities, sports, and more to help form the whole person. Missionaries walk with students as they grow academically and spiritually.
At John Paul the Great College, a Catholic liberal arts junior college, you'll engage with young adults eager to grow in faith and critical thinking, supporting their formation in both intellect and virtue.
Outside the classroom, you'll encounter the natural beauty of Belize—from misty mountain sunrises and winding jungle trails to nearby rivers, caves, waterfalls, ancient Mayan ruins with an occasional exploration of the islands. The real beauty, though, is in the relationships you form with members of the community and with your students. The simplicity of mission life is balanced by its richness: daily prayer, the Eucharist, Marian devotion, and genuine community life. Surrounded by beauty, culture, and faith, many missionaries find that serving in Belize not only blesses others—it transforms their own hearts and deepens their call to follow Christ with joyful generosity.
Whether you're in the classroom, at daily Mass, or playing soccer with students after school, you’ll witness how Christ transforms lives—and your own heart will be changed in the process.
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel High School
Our Lady of Mount Carmel (OLMC) High School was established in 1990 by Father John McHugh, SOLT to provide an affordable, quality, Catholic education for the young people of Benque Viejo del Carmen, Belize. The school began with only volunteer teachers and a one-room school building. Now the “miracle school” has a thriving campus, a full-time staff of Belizean teachers, and over 400 beautiful students. Each year, 20 to 25 missionary teachers come and serve the young men and women of Belize.
John Paul the Great College
John Paul the Great College (JPG) opened in 2013. It provides students with a quality, Catholic, tertiary education that forms the whole human person through educational experiences unlike any other college in Belize. Students embark on a multiday journey through the bush of Belize in the Outdoor Leadership Adventure to grow in leadership skills, cultivate deep relationships, and read from the splendor of God’s first book, creation. This retreat-like opportunity allows the students to not only form their mind, but also their body throught the mountain hikes, and spirit as they participate in Mass, prayer, and meaningful friendship. Through a liberal arts education, JPG helps students think critically and to grow in confidence in their ability to see problems and solve them. John Paul the Great College gives a strong foundation in the history of Western civilization with a Catholic worldview that will ground students in sound reasoning and strong convictions.
JPG College Outdoor Leadership Program
