Students responding to the invitation from the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) to highlight the country’s most significant post-Independence achievement by participating in the agency’s 2022 Heritage Competition were awarded for their outstanding essays, posters, graphics, and photographic entries.
Sixteen finalists, representing primary, secondary and tertiary institutions, received their prizes during an awards ceremony at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in St. Andrew, on Wednesday (December 14).
Their submissions depicted elements of culture, such as sports and music, the development of education, and the advancement of women, which were among the areas of significant achievement for Jamaica over the past 60 years.
The category winners were Essay – Shadair Green, Chetwood Memorial Primary School; Graphics – Jonovi Gayle, Cornwall College; Poster (grades 7-9), D’André Granston, Cornwall College; Poster (grades 10-13), John-Michael Ramsay, Herbert Morrison Technical High School, and Photography – Roshielle Powell, University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus.
They were presented with trophies, cash, vacations, gift baskets, brunch tickets, plaques, free courses, certificates, among other prizes. Keynote speaker, Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with Responsibility for Information, Hon. Robert Morgan, congratulated the finalists and commended the JIS for “creating a space where young people can express themselves through their artistic talents”.
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He underscored the importance of self-expression to the development of society, as well as the need for citizens to be able to reason critically. “It is for this reason that I believe that JIS has a role in the society of creating an environment where we empower people to critically analyse information to come to their own conclusions,” the Minister stated.
Mr. Morgan also urged the youngsters not to detract from their ability to make critical analyses but, instead, to enhance it.
He further expressed the hope that the JIS Heritage competition will become “a kind of standard, within the government service, of a competition that places the artistic expression of young people front and centre for the nation to see”.
In her remarks, JIS Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Enthrose Campbell, who also commended the finalists, welcomed the awards ceremony’s full reversion to an in-person engagement. This, she noted, following its execution as a made-for-television event and then as limited in-person engagement over the past two years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Consequently, she added, “we are happy to be back to some sort of normalcy”.Ms. Campbell, who said most of the entries were received from western Jamaica, noted that “some students were clear in their answers”, while pointing out that others may have been challenged by the numerous achievements and opted to focus on multiple accomplishments. Others, she added, “focused on the single most important achievement”.
The CEO thanked the planning committee, judges, sponsors, teachers, and parents for contributing to making the event a success. Established in 2011, the competition is a platform for young people to voice their opinions on issues of national importance and widen their knowledge about the country’s heritage.
For 2022, primary-level students, aged nine to 12, were asked to submit an essay, comprising 400 to 500 words, explaining what they think is “Jamaica’s Greatest Achievement over the Past 60 Year”’. Submissions were judged on relevance to the topic, originality, accuracy and analysis of research data, writing style and language skills.
Secondary-level students were asked to use graphics or illustrations to design a poster, no larger than 11 inches x 17 inches, depicting the topic. Meanwhile, tertiary students were required to submit a photographic interpretation, and were judged on understanding of the topic, originality, composition, technique, and impact.
Sponsors this year were Boone Hall Oasis; Caribbean School of Media and Communication (CARIMAC), CPTC/Media Technology Institute, Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, Frame Art Jamaica, Franklyn D. Resort, GK Insurance, Innovative Corporate Solutions, GraceKennedy Limited, WB Trophies Limited, and T Cell and More.
Source: Winners in 2022 Jamaica Information Service Heritage Competition Awarded as published in the Jamaica Information Service.
