Principal of the Mt. Zion Primary and Infant School in Montego Bay, St. James, Onex Bowen, views her teaching journey as a ministry. The devout Christian believes that she is fulfilling a calling on her life to provide instruction for the nation’s children, a call which she answered 23 years ago. After completing her teacher-education training at Church Teachers’ College...

One would not immediately associate the profession of accounting with law enforcement. Neither did trained accountant, Constable Simone Murray, when she decided to join the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) some eight years ago. Now a Policy Analyst in the JCF’s Planning, Research and Development Branch, Constable Murry is proud to be a member of the Force and will be pursuing...

Community development necessitates a multifaceted approach to advance the society, and its individual members alike. This international best practice is not lost on the Social Development Commission (SDC), as they target the 7-17 years age group through their wholistic community summer camps. During the months of July and August, youth from approximately 170 districts in 40 communities islandwide were engaged...

When 21-year-old Peter Haynes, a two-time National Reading Competition champion isn’t diving into a good book, he enjoys holding a good conversation in one of the seven languages he speaks. “Apart from English, I am proficient in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian (and) Japanese,” Peter, who hails from Portland, tells JIS News. In August, he was awarded the 15-20 National...

The Road Safety Education in Schools Programme aims to promote and foster safe use of Jamaica’s roadways by the nation’s children. Undertaken by the Road Safety Unit in the Ministry of Transport and Mining, the programme targets youngsters at the primary and secondary levels. In 2021, some 24 children were lost through accidents on the roads, and one of the...

The Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund continues to provide strong financial support for many cultural projects and events to highlight the nation’s heritage. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the CHASE Fund, W. Billy Heaven, said the Fund has already provided approximately $49.5 million toward expenses for Jamaica’s 60th Independence celebratory events and legacy projects, and continues to...

Jamaica’s top girl for the 2022 Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations, Leah-Simone Powell, says her drive for academic success will continue to fuel her efforts throughout high school and beyond. The self-motivated 12-year-old student, who was also President at her former school, Reach Academy in St. Andrew, topped the list of over 17,000 girls who took the PEP examinations this...

Twenty-three-year-old Portmore resident, Tiffani Barrett, got together a group of her family members and friends to clean the Boardwalk Beach in the St. Catherine community on Saturday (September 17). The group of 12 volunteers, most of whom live in Portmore and regularly enjoy the use of the recreational space, removed plastic and glass bottles, Styrofoam containers, empty snack bags, used...

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has had a negative impact on many businesses, has, in several instances, spurred entrepreneurs to act quickly and decisively in order to keep their operations up and running. One such, is owner of Neasha’s Island Vibz, Reneisha Wilson, who manufactures fruit flavoured pepper sauces, non-preservative fruit wines, and a personal care product line. Ms. Wilson embarked...