JIS Accepting Entries for Heritage Competition

The Jamaica Information Service (JIS) is accepting entries for its annual Heritage Competition up to October 31.

This year, students are invited to make essay, poster, and photo submissions under the theme ‘Out of Many, One People’.

“We are excited to have students of all levels engage in this year’s competition. This initiative offers a unique opportunity for them to reflect on Jamaica’s vibrant cultural history and express their creativity,” Acting Special Projects Manager at the JIS, Charnele Henry, said.

Primary-level students, aged nine to 12, can participate in the essay segment of the competition.

The written pieces should focus on the prompt: ‘Discuss how our different cultural, ethnic or religious groups have contributed to building a stronger Jamaica’.

Essays should be between 400 and 500 words and will be evaluated based on relevance, originality, accuracy, depth of analysis, writing style, and language skills.

Submissions must also include a Bibliography or list of references, including at least one source from the JIS.

Entries should be submitted on the JIS website at www.jis.gov.jm.

Secondary-level students are invited to create a poster on the theme ‘Out of Many, One People’.

Posters can be either digital or graphic (physical), must be no larger than 11 inches x 17 inches and can be in landscape or portrait orientation.

Only images provided on the JIS website through Dropbox should be used in the creative pieces, which can be submitted along with a completed entry form via the agency’s website.

Physical submissions should be printed and delivered to the JIS Head Office in Kingston or the Regional Office in Montego Bay.

Meanwhile, tertiary-level students can participate in the photo category. Interested persons are required to compose a photographic interpretation of the competition’s theme.

Photographs will be judged on understanding of the topic, originality, composition, technique, and impact.

Entries should be submitted via a cloud storage service, such as Dropbox, SkyDrive, or Google Drive.

Prizes will be awarded to the top-three participants in each category, courtesy of sponsors, including financial institutions, tertiary institutions, technology companies, and bookstores.

“We encourage every student to explore the theme thoroughly and showcase their talents through their submissions as well as their parents and teachers to support them in preparing their best work, aiming for top prizes in their respective categories,” Ms. Henry noted.

For more information, individuals can contact the JIS at 876-926-3590-4, Ext. 2132, or email heritagephoto@jis.gov.jm, heritageposter@jis.gov.jm, or heritageessay@jis.gov.jm.