Students shine at annual Earth Day Competition

SEVERAL STUDENTS from secondary institutions across the island were rewarded for works submitted in the recently concluded annual Earth Day Competition and Awards Ceremony hosted by the Natural History Museum of Jamaica, a division of the Institute of Jamaica.

Dorain Clarke of Ferncourt High, Aiko Jones of Wolmer’s Girls’ High School, and Mishawn Chin-See of Wolmer’s Boys’ Art Club emerged winners in their respective categories when the announcement was made at the Institute of Jamaica’s Lecture Hall recently. Students were asked to submit creative pieces in photography, poster and the literary arts categories. Clarke of Ferncourt High won in the literary arts category for her poem Economic Sustainer, while Shamoy Card of Knox College placed second, and Shenecia Campbell of Green Pond High School placed third.

Aiko Jones of Wolmer’s won the photography category under the theme ‘Environmental Impacts of Tourism’. Her piece – ‘Sun, Sand, Sea and Save’ – highlighted the environmental impact that tourism has on Jamaica’s endemic turtle population. Phillip Leach and Tiasha Reid, both from Herbert Morrison Technical High School, were placed second and third, respectively.

Mishawn Chin-See of the Wolmer’s Boys’Art Club successfully defended her title by holding back stiff competition from Gabrielle Alexandria of the East Street Junior Centre, who placed second and Samantha Ennis of Montego Bay High for Girls, who placed third.

CHARGE TO STUDENTS

Mrs Elecia Myers, senior director (acting), Strategic Planning and Evaluation Division in the Ministry of Tourism, who was the guest speaker at the function, encouraged the students to see the social, cultural, environmental and economic aspects in sustainable tourism and challenged the participants to reflect on how Jamaica can position itself as a destination regarding its stewardship of the environment in relation to tourism.

A total of 76 entries from 19 participating organisations with youth islandwide were received and were also on display for a brief period in May at the Natural History Museum of Jamaica. This year, the competition was opened to include youth between ages 12-19 years to allow entries from schools, youth groups and churches. These entries were judged on several criteria, including originality, interpretation of theme, and presentation of content. In a release sent to The Gleaner, the Institute of Jamaica expressed that it will continue to encourage students to embrace literature, science and art as they congratulated the winners of this year’s competition.

Sponsors of the 2017 competition included Jamaica National Commission for UNESCO, Pesticides Control Authority, Kingston Bookshop, Dolphin Cove Limited, Jamaican Teas Limited, Kool Runnings Adventure Park, Highway 2000 East-West, Carlong Publishers, Tryall Club and Golf Course, Hylton’s Limited, Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, the Coconut Industry Board, Wallenford Coffee Company, Chukka Caribbean Adventures, Perishables Jamaica Limited, and Hope Zoo.