Eleven-year-old Jasonnia Beadle of Park Mountain Primary and Infant School in St. Elizabeth is Jamaica’s top primary-school student in the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examination. She scored 394.2 out of 400 points.

The grade-six student said she felt proud and excited when she learned of her achievement following the release of PEP results on Monday, June 22.

“I did not expect that to happen and I was feeling excited [when I heard the news],” said Jasonnia, who is also Head Girl of the school.

She told JIS News that her outstanding performance earned her a place at the all-girls Hampton School in Malvern, in the parish.

The young scholar credited consistent preparation for her success, noting that she spent time watching PEP practice videos online and worked through past examination papers daily.

Moreover, the support of her mother at home and the encouragement of her teacher, Dian Dennis, also played a huge role in her accomplishment.

“My teacher, Ms. Diane Dennis, she helped all of us students to do our best and motivated us to do well. So, I feel good and proud of myself,” Jasonnia outlined.

The student, whose long-term ambition is to become either a nurse or a doctor, said she intends to maintain her strong academic performance at Hampton School and continue pursuing excellence in all areas of her education.

For her part, Principal of Park Mountain Primary and Infant School, Carlene Williams Heath, used the occasion to encourage Jasonnia to remain humble, while continuing to walk and speak with the confidence of a champion.

“I want to read about you in the papers, and I want to know to say that, yes, she attended Park Mountain Primary School. You are a star; you’re a champion,” Ms. Williams Heath said.

Josannia’s achievement became the highlight of a remarkable year for Park Mountain Primary and Infant School, which overcame significant challenges caused by Hurricane Melissa last October.

The storm damaged sections of the school, including the roof, forcing administrators to implement a rotation system for classes and adjust to difficult learning conditions.

However, despite these setbacks, the school delivered one of its strongest performances in recent years.

Ms. Williams Heath pointed out that 60 students sat the PEP examinations this year, with seven other girls from the institution also earning places at Hampton School.

Nine boys also secured spots at Munro College, in the parish, while other students were placed at institutions, including Black River High School and Rusea’s High School.

“We have dubbed this year graduation theme to be ‘Trials to Triumph’. We made it. Yes, we made it,” Ms. Williams Heath underscored.

Grade-six and senior teacher at Park Mountain Primary and Infant School, Diane Dennis, indicated that she and the other grade-six teacher met daily to review students’ progress, identify weaknesses, and “pull everyone” along.

“My students would say I am a hard teacher. I come down really hard on them, but I push them because I know they have the ability to excel,” she told JIS News.

Ninety per cent of students who sat the 2026 Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examination have been placed in a school of their choice.

Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, advised that 9.5 per cent were placed by proximity while 0.5 per cent were manually placed.

Addressing Monday’s (June 22) PEP Press Conference at Jamaica House, she noted that students are given seven choices.

“Twenty-four per cent of the students got their first choice, 18 per cent got their second choice, 16 per cent got their third choice. So, when you add up all of that, you’re almost at 60 per cent that got their first three choices,” she shared.

Some 13 per cent were placed in their fourth choice, while 11 per cent each were placed in their fifth or sixth choice and seven per cent in their seventh choice.

Dr. Morris Dixon said that the Ministry’s goal “has to be to raise the level of all our high schools, so that wherever you go, you feel like you can achieve”.

In congratulating the students, the Minister said it was a difficult year with the impact of Hurricane Melissa but they persevered.

“These PEP Six results show us the resilience of our country,” she said.

Meanwhile, she shared that, overall, females performed better than males, but among the top-10 students, seven of them are males.

“The top primary student is from St. Elizabeth and he is from Park Mountain Primary School,” she informed.

Global educational publishing company, Macmillan Education, in partnership with Kingston Bookshop, has donated 4,000 textbooks valued $6 million to schools affected by Hurricane Melissa.

The books were officially presented to the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information during a handover ceremony at the National Education Trust (NET), Caenwood Centre in Kingston, on Friday (May 15).

Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry, Senator the Hon. Marlon Morgan, expressed gratitude to the donors, emphasising the importance of partnership in advancing education across Jamaica.

“Literacy is the foundation of education. If you have a solid foundation, you’re able to build on top of that… and that’s what we seek to do as a Ministry,” he said.

Senator Morgan urged the students to be good stewards of the textbooks as they work to expand their knowledge, strengthen literacy skills, and build a brighter future through education.

Macmillan Education Caribbean Sales Manager, Deborah Brearley, noted that the company has maintained a strong relationship with Jamaica for more than 70 years.

“Jamaica holds a very special place in our hearts and in our business. This long-standing relationship is built on trust, shared purpose and a deep commitment to education as a driver of opportunity and growth,” she said.

Ms. Brearley explained that the donation of books is intended to help restore learning continuity, close resource gaps, and support both educators and students in their recovery.

“We believe strongly that our role goes beyond publishing educational content. It’s about standing with our partners, especially in moments of difficulty, and supporting the long-term strength and resilience of the education system,” she stated.

Among the beneficiary institutions is Broadleaf Primary School in Manchester. Principal, Eaton McNamee, expressed sincere gratitude for the timely support.

“These books are more than just paper and ink. They are tools that will open doors, spark curiosity and strengthen the foundation of learning for our students. In a time when resources matter more than ever, your partnership reminds us that education is a shared responsibility and that our children’s future is worth investing in,” Mr. McNamee said.

Student, Shameena Grant, pledged to make full use of the books, noting that they will not remain idle on the shelves.

“They will be read, questioned and used to build a stronger foundation for us as learners,” she said.

For her part, NET Executive Director, Latoya Harris-Ghartey, said the agency was pleased to facilitate the donation, noting its significance for communities where electricity and internet service have yet to be restored.

“It means they still have the capacity to learn, to engage with material that is critical for their brain development, their grasp of concepts and their application of knowledge,” she said.

In expressing gratitude to the donors, Mrs. Harris-Ghartey emphasised that partnerships are critical to advancing education.

“Education is not a government alone undertaking. It is something that everybody has to invest in, because we all have to live in this society,” she stated.

Meanwhile, Director of Strategy and Innovation at Kingston Bookshop, Shauna Fuller-Clarke, underscored the vital role of books in supporting recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

“The textbooks get students back to learning and the storybooks give a child somewhere else to go in the world,” she said.

 

Mrs. Fuller-Clarke advised that Kingston Bookshop has placed donation boxes in its retail stores to collect books from the public in support of schools in western Jamaica.

“We did a needs analysis sometime last year and we’re finalising plans to support one or two schools in the west in a more substantial way, because we believe recovery is not a single moment. It’s a sustained commitment,” she stated.

Buff Bay Primary School, in Portland, is winner of the 2026 Portland Maths Quiz Competition.

The four challengers from Buff Bay faced off against Norwich Primary School in a neck-and-neck battle, separated by just a few points in the end. The final, as well as the third-place playoff, took place at the Social Development Commission’s Portland Office on May 7.

It is Buff Bay Primary’s first time winning the competition. The champion quizzers, the second and third-place teams, their coaches, and other outstanding challengers were all feted with an array of trophies and exciting prizes from sponsors.

Buff Bay Primary’s Coach, Jody-Ann Thomas, told JIS News that it took “hard work and dedication” to claim the win.

Ms. Thomas said that the experience was not just a competitive one but also the contest provided several other benefits to the young participants.

“It also improved how they collaborate with each other and all of that. So, it’s not only just about writing down the answer. As the judges would have said, it is about thinking critically and with reasoning,” she explained.

Cluster-based Mathematics Specialist for Region 2, President of the Norwich Community Development Committee and an Organiser of the competition, Suzette Simpson McNeil, conveyed congratulations to the winning team.

“We are really happy for them [and] for all the teams that made it this far. It has been a long couple of weeks [and] it’s really a wonderful blessing to be here,” Mrs. Simpson McNeil said.

The competition was launched on February 6 with a total of 30 schools – the most entries ever received since it began in 2017 in the Port Antonio area.

“We thought that when we saw the numbers for mathematics for the region, we thought we should not just stick to Port Antonio, but just to enlarge it to the other communities in Portland,” Mrs. Simpson McNeil pointed out.

The 30 Primary-level institutions that took on the challenge hail from both Eastern and Western Portland. For next year, organisers are looking to extend the competition to include high schools.

Mrs. Simpson McNeil also informed that the quiz revealed areas in which students were having challenges with mathematics, and certain misconceptions.

“And what the teachers, and what we have identified to them is that they were not familiar with doing many reasoning tasks, and so we want to fix that. We’re going to continue this progression because coming out of the match, we met with the teachers in West Portland and they decided that they want to form a little group and to do some item writing, which is a plus,” the Maths Specialist said.

“The work continues because we’re going to be going into the schools, school by school, looking at the weaknesses. We want to meet with the teachers, let them know where their school is at and what intervention they can do in school and what we can do from this summer to going into the new school year because we want to fix it,” she added.

Social Development Commission (SDC) Parish Manager for Portland, Karl Coke, said: “We recognise that there’s a gap in mathematics right across the parish of Portland, so hosting a competition like this allows the Ministry of Education to identify those gaps and see where we can work towards fixing it going forward.”

The competition is implemented by the Portland SDC in partnership with the Norwich CDC and the Portland Parish Development Committee.

Mr. Coke said that in addition to expanding the Maths Quiz competition, the agency is looking to establish a public speaking and poster competition for schools in the parish.

He thanked the sponsors for their support of the Maths Quiz Competition, hailing the community spirit that was displayed.

These included Members of Parliament for Portland Western and Eastern, Hon. Daryl Vaz and Isat Buchanan; Mayor of Port Antonio, Paul Thompson; Jamaica Teachers’ Association Cooperative Credit Union; Bookzone; Anchovy Hardware; Ramtulla Supercentre; Essies Variety Store; Soshavel Variety Store; Bayview Eco Resort and Spa; DK Decorations and more; Portland Parish Development Committee; Boundbrook Tyre Shop; and the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission.

Children are being encouraged to build emotional resilience and speak about their mental health, as the Ministry of Health and Wellness expands its effort to provide psychosocial support in schools across the island.

This call was made by Team Lead for the Ministry’s Mobile Mental Health Service, Dr. Judith Leiba-Thomas, during the Ministry’s Wellness Day: Child Conversation event, held at Spot Valley High School in St. James, on May 15 to commemorate National Children’s Day.

The event was hosted by the Ministry of Health and Wellness, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information and other government agencies.

Addressing students at the function, Dr. Leiba-Thomas underscored the importance of mental and emotional well-being, noting that it is just as critical as physical health.

“That’s why we go around and we try to blend into as many schools as we can, so that persons will see us and accept the fact that mental health is important,” she said.

Dr. Leiba-Thomas explained that the Mobile Mental Health Service, also known as the Wellness Express, is the first initiative of its kind in Jamaica and was designed to provide children with safe and private spaces to discuss emotional or psychological challenges.

“The Wellness Express is very unique, and we go around and give children an opportunity to come and talk to us privately if they’re suffering or if they just want to discuss something,” Dr. Leiba-Thomas shared.

She further pointed out that Spot Valley High School was specially selected to host the wellness celebration because of the institution’s strong partnership with the initiative.

Dr. Leiba-Thomas highlighted the collaborative effort behind the initiative, noting that the Ministries of Health and Wellness; Education, Skills, Youth and Information, and Labour and Social Security have been working together to strengthen mental health support systems for children, “and we are very proud to be part of this collaboration”.

Noting this year’s National Children’s Day focus on mental wellness, Dr. Leiba-Thomas encouraged students to develop “stronger minds” to secure a brighter future.

“There’s a big word for stronger minds called resilience… . It means the ability to bounce back,” she explained.

The Wellness Day: Child Conversation event formed part of activities commemorating National Children’s Day and focused on promoting mental, emotional and behavioural wellness among students.

A 26 member committee has been appointed to evaluate Jamaica’s early-childhood policies, programmes, and implementation levels using the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Early Childhood Care and Education–Progress Assessment Tool for Transformation (ECCE PATT).

Early Childhood Commission (ECC) Chair, Trisha Williams-Singh, told JIS News that the diagnostic tool was launched on April 28, and the committee convened its first meeting on May 12.

The committee members are:
• Principal of St. Paul’s United Infant School, Nicholas Johnson
• Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) Assistant Secretary General, Dr. Margaret Chin
• Jamaica Teaching Council (JTC) Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Winsome Gordon
• Head of Early Childhood Education Department, Shortwood Teachers’ College, Julene McLaughlin
• National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica (NPTAJ) President, Stewart Jacobs
• Jamaica National Commission for UNESCO, Programme Manager, Roberta Ellis
• UNICEF Jamaica Education Specialist, Dr. Rebecca Tortello
• Child Advocate and National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, Diahann Gordon Harrison
• Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund, Chief Executive Officer, Wilford Heaven
• Grace and Staff Community Development Foundation STEM Administrator, Dhira-Mae Brown-Douglas
• Director, Social Security, Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Suzette Morris
• Chief Executive Officer, Barita Investments, Ramone Small-Ferguson
• Manager, Policy, Research and Project Management, Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD), Racquel Artwell
• Senior Director, Agency Liaison and Monitoring Division, Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, Desrene Williams-Taylor
• National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC) Chief Executive Officer, Kaysia Kerr
• Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) Education Specialist, Romane Sohan
• Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) Statistician, Research, Design and Evaluation Division, Yanique Cameron
• World Organization for Early Childhood Education (OMEP) North America and the Caribbean Vice President, Dr. Asiya Foster
• Senior Manager, Social Development, Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), Mona Sue-Ho
• Ministry of Health and Wellness Programme Development Officer, Family Health, Dr. Kemisha Shaw Kelly
• National College for Educational Leadership (NCEL), Camielle Michael-Patterson
• Chief Executive Officer of Christel House Jamaica, Taneshia Stoney Dryden
• Pro Vice Chancellor, University of the West Indies, Mona, Professor Aldrie Henry-Lee
• Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information (Children’s Affairs Policy Division) Senior Director, Hyacinth Blair
• Early Childhood Commission (ECC) Executive Director, Dr. Karlene DeGrasse-Deslandes
• Early Childhood Commission (ECC) Research Manager, Shauna-Kay Williston-Hudson.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Williams Singh noted that leads have been appointed for four subcommittees, each representing one of the main pillars of ECCE PATT.

For Governance and Policy, ECC’s Senior Director, Regulation and Monitoring, Dr. Tracy-Ann Morgan-Smith has been selected.

ECC Manager of Early Childhood Development Assessment Services, Louri-Ann Robotham, has been appointed to lead the pillar on Access and Participation.

For Quality and Relevance, ECC Senior Director for Sector Support Services, Simone Ellis Dixon, will take the lead while ECC Manager, Early Childhood Development Training and Development, Nicole Morgan, will have responsibility for Personnel.

For the pillar on Quality and Relevance, ECC Senior Director for Sector Support Services, Simone Ellis Dixon, will take the lead. Meanwhile, ECC Manager for Early Childhood Development Training and Development, Nicole Morgan, will have responsibility for the Personnel pillar.

“All the committees for the four major pillars have met to start the process of analysing where we are in terms of the rating for the work being done and what further needs to be done,” Mrs. Williams-Singh said.

Education, Skills, Youth and Information Minister, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, is urging parents to maintain a balanced and responsible approach to technology use in the home, warning against over-reliance on devices as a substitute for engagement.

“We’ve learned, we’ve watched the data, and we understand that some of our children are around too much technology, especially at home, where they are on the tablets and the phones,” she said in an interview with JIS News at a Read Across Jamaica Day event at Brompton Primary School in St. Elizabeth on Tuesday (May 5).

She pointed to research indicating that excessive screen time at an early age can be detrimental to development.

“Children 0 to 2 should not be on any device. They should not be watching television. They should not be on a phone,” the Minister stated.

“So, parents, if you are looking at getting the brightest future for your child, you can’t use the phone as a babysitter. You have to engage with the children,” she emphasised.

Dr. Morris Dixon said that the Ministry is carefully calibrating its approach to technology in education, ensuring that it serves as a catalyst for progress without undermining essential developmental needs.

“We are learning that technology, no matter how beautiful it is, it is good, but it also has negatives to it, and at the Ministry of Education, we’re working to find that right balance, so that we are able to propel our children forward,” she pointed out.

She outlined ongoing efforts to modernise classrooms through increased access to digital tools and infrastructure, noting that students are responding positively to the interactive learning environments.

“We’re introducing a lot more technology in our schools through our labs and through even having our smart boards in our classrooms. A lot of our children like the technology, and they like to engage with it, and we’re doing more of that,” she said.

She noted that these tools are being carefully integrated to support, not replace, traditional teaching methods.

“Technology is important but technology alone is not a solution. Technology is a tool,” Dr. Morris Dixon said, noting that these tools are most effective when used to deepen understanding and bring lessons to life for students.

“It’s not technology for technology’s sake. It’s to supplement the learning. So, if a teacher is teaching a topic, they can go and they can show a video on that particular topic, and it enriches the entire class. That’s how we see it working,” she pointed out.

She told JIS News that the Ministry is developing an artificial intelligence (AI) learning assistant designed to support students beyond the classroom.

The initiative is intended to reinforce classroom instruction and strengthen independent learning, she said.

Parents are encouraged to play a more active role in fostering good reading habits among their children.

Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, in making the call, said that literacy development must be reinforced both at school and at home to ensure the best outcomes.

“You have to do your part at home. We’re doing our part at school so, let’s work together to get our children reading so that they can reach those big [goals] that I know every parent wants for their child,” she said.

The Minister was speaking to JIS News, while participating in Read Across Jamaica Day activities at Petersfield Primary and Infant School in Westmoreland on Tuesday (May 5).

Acknowledging that many parents struggle to get children to read, Dr. Morris Dixon said the challenge is one she understands.

“I get the question asked all the time by parents, ‘how do I get my child to read more?.’ We all know, the data is very clear, that children who read well at the early ages do better in mathematics and then will perform better generally throughout their academic life,” she pointed out.

The Minister said that parents must be willing to experiment with different approaches in order to spark children’s interest in books.

She said that parents must also lead by example, noting that children are more likely to embrace reading when they see adults engaging in the activity.

“You have to show what it is that you want to see from your children. So, if you’re not reading, it’s going to be less easy for them to read,” she contended.

Minister Morris Dixon further encouraged parents to pay closer attention to their children’s interests when selecting reading material, explaining that traditional book choices may not always resonate with young readers.

“Talk to them about what it is that they want to read about because sometimes they find the books that we’ve chosen absolutely boring,” she said.

She noted the growing popularity of graphic novels and illustrated books as alternative formats that can help cultivate a love for reading among children.

“You have new types of books where you have a lot more pictorial depictions of the story; they tell a story almost like a comic. So, you have to figure out what your child likes, what topics they like, and then what format they want to read in,” she suggested.

Senator Morris Dixon told JIS News that the Ministry has been supporting literacy development in schools by timetabling reading sessions and increasing access to books for students who may not have reading materials at home.

“We’ve also gone a step further in printing books that our children can read because, for so many of our children, the only time they see books is at school,” she said, noting that providing books for students has become a critical part of the Ministry’s literacy strategy.

Reaffirming the Government’s literacy goals, she said that the Ministry is working towards ensuring that every child leaves primary school able to read proficiently.

“No child is going to leave grade six not literate; that’s what all of Jamaica has to have as a goal,” she said.

Teachers at Lawrence Tavern Primary School were honoured with digital devices and classroom technology during a Teachers’ Day celebration, held on the school grounds in St. Andrew on Wednesday (May 6).

Thirty-six teachers at the institution received laptops courtesy of the Flow Foundation, while the school was presented with a BlackPoint smartboard through a partnership involving BlackPoint and Imperial Appliances.

Speaking at the handover, Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, said the celebration served as an opportunity to recognise the important role teachers play in shaping the nation’s children.

The Minister said members of the Ministry team were able to visit classrooms and interact with students during the Teachers’ Day activities, noting that they saw “the best of Jamaica” through the work being done at the institution.

“When you go around the classrooms and you interact with the students, you see the best of Jamaica and it’s that way because of the teachers and the leadership of this institution,” she said.

Dr. Morris Dixon underscored that partnerships remain critical to improving the education system, noting that the Government welcomes support from corporate Jamaica.

“We can’t do education without partners,” the Minister said, while thanking BlackPoint and Imperial Appliances for supporting schools with smartboards and other resources.

She noted that the company is distributing 250 smartboards across the education system, with Lawrence Tavern Primary School being the first institution to benefit under the initiative.

“They’ve also said they’ll help us in other ways so we’re going to be expanding this partnership,” the Minister added.

Dr. Morris Dixon also expressed gratitude to the Flow Foundation for providing the teachers with laptops, explaining that the Ministry wanted to do something special for the educators in recognition of their dedication and service.

“We wanted to do something special for the teachers at Lawrence Tavern Primary… because they deserve it and it’s the least we could do,” she said.

The Minister pointed out that while the Ministry already has a programme to provide laptops for teachers, the devices presented during the Teachers’ Day celebration were intended as gifts to show appreciation to the staff.

Executive Director of the Flow Foundation, Rhys Campbell, said the organisation was pleased to support educators who continue to shape the lives of Jamaican children.

“Today…we’re giving 36 teachers brand-new laptops. We’re really excited about this because this is an opportunity for us to recognise the people who are changing the lives of our children and Jamaicans on a whole,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer, BlackPoint and Imperial Appliances, Gul Mansukhani, said the company decided to assist schools after many educational institutions sustained damage during Hurricane Melissa.

He said the company imported 500 smartboards for schools across Jamaica, with 250 being handed over to the Ministry of Education for distribution to schools islandwide.

“The other 250 I personally will go and hand over to some of the schools in a couple months to come before September,” Mr. Mansukhani told JIS News.

He added that the initiative forms part of the company’s commitment to supporting education and helping schools recover following the hurricane.

For her part, Principal of Lawrence Tavern Primary School, Marlene Davis-Fairweather, described the occasion as a memorable and uplifting Teachers’ Day celebration for the school community.

“Today was really a wonderful Teachers’ Day here, as our school was chosen by the Minister and the team from Region One to share and celebrate our teachers here,” she said.

“Our teachers are really dedicated, hard-working teachers and have made an invaluable contribution to our community,” the Principal added.

Mrs. Davis-Fairweather said the laptops and smartboard will enhance teaching and learning at the institution.

Norwich Primary and Buff Bay Primary schools will compete for top honours in the final of the Portland Mathematics Quiz Competition on Thursday, May 7, at the Social Development Commission (SDC) Portland Parish Office at 9:30 a.m.

Ahead of the final, Boundbrook Primary and Mount Pleasant Primary will contest the third-place play-off.

The final marks the culmination of a parish-wide academic initiative that has engaged more than 30 primary schools across East and West Portland over the past four months.

The winner of the competition will walk away with the Championship trophy as well as various gift certificates and book vouchers. Additionally, top-performing students will also receive awards.

Now in its fifth year, the competition, which is implemented through a partnership involving the SDC, the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information (MOESYI), and the Norwich Community Development Committee (CDC), has established itself as a key programme promoting numeracy and critical thinking among students.

This year’s competition was held under the Mathematics Month theme, ‘Maths for All: Building Communities, Confidence, Competence, and Creativity’.

Participants engaged in written assessments, problem-solving exercises and live quiz rounds, aimed at improving computational fluency, conceptual understanding and critical-thinking skills. The programme also supports the national effort of the Ministry to improve student performance and engagement in numeracy.

Director of Corporate Communications and Public Relations at the SDC, Mandel McKulsky, said the competition underscores the importance of Mathematics in national development.

“We are pleased with the level of participation and the performance of the students throughout the competition. It demonstrates the value of engaging young people in meaningful educational activities that build confidence and problem-solving skills,” he said.

Mr. McKulsky added that the initiative reflects the SDC’s continued commitment to youth development and community transformation through education and partnerships.

He noted that similar programmes are being planned for other communities.

“More than 50 communities are targeted for similar youth-focused activities, and programmes are scheduled to take place across Jamaica during the remainder of the year, reinforcing the Commission’s investment in building the confidence, creativity, and leadership potential of young people nationwide,” he informed.

The final is expected to attract students, educators, parents and community stakeholders as the parish recognises academic achievement and collaboration in advancing education.

The competition has received support from community leaders, elected representatives and private-sector organisations.