JIS Awards 2023 Heritage Competition Winners

Jamaica’s path to becoming a Republic was the focus of the 2023 Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Heritage Competition, for which the top entrants in the categories of essay and poster were awarded on Tuesday (December 12).

The competition, which opened for entries in September, saw students from primary and secondary schools across the island vying for attractive prizes by penning interesting essays and designing attractive posters on the topic.

Ultimately, the winners were Shawnalee Allen from the Manchester-based Grove Town Primary and Infant School in the essay category, while in the poster category, Andrew Gordon of José Martí Technical High School in St. Catherine took home the top prize in the grades seven to nine segment, and Prudent Salmon of Herbert Morrison Technical High School, St. James, in the grades 10 to 13 section.

The winners and other outstanding entrants were feted with trophies, cash prizes, brunch vouchers, tablets, hotel stays, free courses, and gift baskets from an array of sponsors at the awards ceremony, held at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in St. Andrew.

Bringing greetings at the ceremony, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the JIS, Enthrose Campbell, noted that the occasion was an opportunity to celebrate the “remarkable talents” of young Jamaicans.

She commended the quality of the entries, noting that the students, through their essays and posters, displayed perspectives that were “deep and refreshing”.

Miss Campbell said that the competition, which is in its 13th year, “serves as a testament to the dedication of our educators, and the unwavering support of the parents who have nurtured these young minds”.

“The JIS Heritage Competition is a vehicle that gives our young people an opportunity to delve into [and] to understand more about our history, and that will lead to them being more patriotic,” the CEO noted.

Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Hon, Marlene Malahoo Forte, in a video message, congratulated the students, noting that they are helping to inform the nation about the changes that will be made as Jamaica continues on the road to becoming a republic.

“We are now working to further the goals of Independence to reform the Constitution of Jamaica to replace the monarch with a president for the Republic of Jamaica. The president will be our formal head of State – a Jamaican chosen by Jamaicans symbolic of our Jamaican nationality and identity. That should excite all of us,” the Minister said.

Greetings were also brought by Press Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Naomi Francis, who commended the JIS team on behalf of Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, for staging the annual competition.

She also lauded the young entrants for answering the call to participate in a national conversation.

Inaugurated in 2011, the JIS Heritage competition is a platform for young people to share their opinion on aspects of Jamaica’s national development, culture and achievements.

For 2023, primary-level students, aged nine to 12, were required to submit an essay discussing, ‘Should Jamaica Remain under the British Monarchy or Become a Full Republic?’.

Essays were required to be 400 to 500 words in length and were judged on relevance to the topic, originality, accuracy and analysis of research data, writing style and language skills.

Secondary-level students were required to use graphics or illustrations to design a poster, no larger than 11 inches x 17 inches, depicting the topic ‘Echoes of Freedom: Tracing Jamaica’s Path from Colonialism to Republic’.

Meanwhile, tertiary-level students were invited to submit photo entries on the topic ‘Echoes of Freedom: Tracing Jamaica’s Path from Colonialism to Republic’.

However, there were no awardees in this category of the competition this year.

Among this year’s sponsors were Boone Hall Oasis, Caribbean School of Media and Communication (CARIMAC), CPTC/Media Technology Institute, Frame Art Jamaica, Franklyn D. Resort, Innovative Corporate Solutions, LASCO, WB Trophies Limited, Sandals Resorts International, Margaritaville, the Northern Caribbean University (NCU), and the Universal Service Fund.