The Jamaica Information Service (JIS) has introduced a new award in its annual Heritage Competition.
Primary and secondary institutions whose entries advance to the final round of the competition will be eligible for the Heritage Preservation Award.
The announcement was made by Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Celia Lindsay, during the 2025 awards ceremony on Tuesday (February 17), at The Summit in Kingston.
“The award will celebrate the top three schools whose finalists have best represented the connection between legacy and responsibility in their submissions, and these submissions must give a call to action to preserve our national heritage,” she explained.
For the introductory year, 2025, JIS presented Heritage Preservation cash awards to all primary and secondary schools with finalists in the competition.
“We understand that Hurricane Melissa affected all of us and caused us to recognise how fragile our national heritage is, in the face of big storms like Melissa. Through this Heritage Award, the agency is issuing a call to action to primary and secondary institutions to start doing more to preserve what we have… and we are giving you a small cash award to get you started,” Ms. Lindsay shared.
The Acting CEO suggested that schools establish heritage centres of excellence or expand their library collections on Jamaica’s heritage.
“Integrate the communities into your heritage focus. Identify sections of your community that are significant to your region’s heritage. Create the awareness, that what we have is important… and be sure to teach our young people to take care of the jewel that we have,” she added.
The JIS Heritage Competition was launched in 2011 with the aim of engaging students in aspects of Jamaica’s national development, culture, and achievements.
