Jamaica Information Service Launches 2025 Heritage Competition

The Jamaica Information Service (JIS) has officially launched its 2025 Heritage Competition, inviting students islandwide to participate in a celebration of national pride and cultural legacy.

This initiative reflects the JIS’s enduring commitment to fostering youth engagement in national discourse and enriching their appreciation of Jamaica’s cultural heritage.

The competition is open to students at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels, with each group tasked with interpreting this year’s theme, ‘Honouring Our People, Protecting the Future’. Acting Chief Executive Officer at the JIS, Celia Lindsay, stated that the Heritage Competition is more than a celebration of our shared past; it is a powerful invitation to explore, preserve, and creatively interpret the stories that shape our communities.

“We are looking forward to seeing entries that not only honour tradition but also push boundaries, offering fresh perspectives on heritage through art, research, and innovation. This year, we are especially looking forward to submissions that connect generations and inspire meaningful dialogue about identity, legacy, and cultural continuity,” she said. Primary-school students, aged nine to 12 years, are invited to submit essays (400-500 words) exploring what they believe is the most significant achievement of Jamaicans and how this legacy can be preserved.

Entries will be judged based on thematic relevance, originality, research accuracy and analysis, writing style, and language proficiency.

Each submission must include a title page and a bibliography or list of references, featuring at least one source from the JIS.

Secondary-level students may submit posters in either the graphic design or illustration category. Submissions must not exceed 11” x 17” in size (portrait or landscape orientation) and must exclusively feature images provided via the JIS Dropbox link.

All entries across both age categories must be submitted via the official entry form available at www.jis.gov.jm. Illustrated posters are to be printed and delivered, along with the completed form, to one of the designated JIS offices – Head Office in Kingston, Montego Bay Regional Office in St. James, or Morant Bay Regional Office in St. Thomas.

Tertiary-level students are invited to submit a photographic interpretation of the theme. Entries will be assessed based on thematic understanding, originality, composition, technical execution, and overall impact.
Submissions must be uploaded via a cloud storage platform (e.g., Dropbox, SkyDrive, Google Drive), and should include the entrant’s institution name and field of study.

Top entries in each category will be awarded prizes sponsored by financial institutions, technology firms, bookstores, and other valued partners. All submissions must comply with the official guidelines outlined on the JIS website. Plagiarism will result in immediate disqualification, and relatives of JIS staff members are ineligible to participate.

Participants are advised to retain personal copies of their submissions, as all entries become the property of the JIS. The deadline for submission is Sunday, October 24, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.

For further information, individuals may contact the JIS at 876-926-3590-4, extensions 2137 or 2103; via email at heritagephoto@jis.gov.jm, heritageposter@jis.gov.jm, or heritageessay@jis.gov.jm or by visiting the official website at www.jis.gov.jm.