Cornwall College and Immaculate emerge champions in 2009 Earth Day Essay, Poster and Photography Competition
Guest speaker at the awards ceremony for the 2009 Earth Day Essay, Poster and Photography competition, Mr. Ronald Jackson, Director, Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) makes a point during his presentation.
Cornwall College copped four of the nine top prizes at the awards ceremony for the 10th staging of Natural History Museum of Jamaica (NHMJ) 2009 Earth Day Essay, Poster and Photography Competition at the Institute of Jamaica lecture Hall on Wednesday, April 22, 2009.
Cornwall College’s Khamal Clayton won first place in the Essay competition while his schoolmate Akino Lewis won the top prize in the poster competition. Vanessa Logan of Immaculate Conception High School earned $25, 000, three trophies among her prizes for copping first and second places in the Photography section of the competition.
Guest speaker at the function, Ronald Jackson, Director, Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) emphasized the importance of recognizing Earth Day and taking care of the environment. He urged individuals to become stewards of the environment to ensure its protection for future generations.
Khamal Clayton of Cornwall College School receives the IOJ/JPS trophy for the winning school in the essay category from Ms. Detommie Sergeant of JPS and Mr. Vivian Crawford, Executive Director of the IOJ.
The competition, which is this year themed Global Warning, serves as a medium for exposing students and school communities to environmental awareness issues.
Since 1990, the Institute of Jamaica through the NHMJ has been involved in various activities to promote “Earth Day,” which is celebrated internationally on April 22. These activities include exhibitions, concerts and campaigns.
Eighteen (18) schools participated in this year’s competition with 64 entries; 17 essay entries, 35 poster entries on the theme “Global Warning: Natural Disasters Ahead” and 12 photography entries depicting the theme “Global Warning: Hell and High Water.” The entries are judged based on several criteria, including originality, interpretation of theme and presentation of content.
Vanessa Logan of Immaculate Conception High School poses in front of her winning entries in the photography category in the 2009 Earth Day Essay, Poster and Photography competition with the IOJ/JPS trophy for the winning school.
The observation of Earth Day was initiated by Harvard Law student Dennis Hayes and
Senator Gaylord Nelson in 1970. It has since gathered momentum taking on global significance.
This year’s competition was sponsored by the Jamaica Public Service, CARIMAC, LIME, Pesticides Control Authority, Chukka Caribbean Adventures, Kingston Bookshop, Carlong Publishers, Hyltons Trophies and Awards, Grace Kennedy and Company Limited and Coconut Industry Board.