NEPA Launches Competition to Inspire Jamaica’s Young Environmental Leaders
By: , March 25, 2026
Photo: Janell Henderson
National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Leonard Francis (left); Principal of Titchfield High School in Port Antonio, Richard Thompson (centre), and Island Car Rentals CEO, Ryan Parkes, view a display mounted during the National Schools Environmental Clubs Student Workshop hosted by NEPA at the school on March 6.
Photo: Janell Henderson
National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Leonard Francis (left); Principal of Titchfield High School in Port Antonio, Richard Thompson (centre), and Island Car Rentals CEO, Ryan Parkes, view a display mounted during the National Schools Environmental Clubs Student Workshop hosted by NEPA at the school on March 6.The Full Story
High-school students across Jamaica are poised to benefit from exciting opportunities through the upcoming Junior CEO Competition, to be launched by the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA).
The competition is part of NEPA’s broader strategy to engage young people in environmental protection and promote sustainable development.
The initiative, scheduled to begin this year, was announced by NEPA Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Leonard Francis, during his address at a National Schools Environment Club Programme (NSECP) capacity building workshop, held at Titchfield High School in Portland on March 6.
He noted that participants will have the chance to engage directly with key decision-makers and gain valuable, first-hand perspectives on environmental policy and governance in Jamaica.
“You get to spend… two or three days throughout the agency and help us to identify solutions. Then we are going to be also introducing you to some of the (government) Ministers,” the CEO said, adding that a winner will be selected in November.
Mr. Francis encouraged students to seize the opportunity presented by the initiative, emphasising that “it will open doors to exceptional opportunities”.
He further highlighted the vital role such programmes play in cultivating future leaders within the environmental sector.
“We need to ensure that we have persons who are going to be new Ministers of the environment and climate change and that we’re going to have new CEOs,” Mr. Francis stated.
The Junior CEO initiative is one of several youth-focused programmes spearheaded by NEPA to foster environmental awareness and nurture leadership among students.
These include NSECP Workshops, which strengthen environmental clubs in secondary schools, and interactive tools such as the ‘NEPA Eco Quest’ games – featuring activities like Trivia, Recycle Rush, and Reef Saver – as well as individual leadership challenges that empower students to present their own visions for climate action.
