National Career Photo Challenge honours Jamaican students for Hurricane Melissa recovery images

Students and HEART/NSTA Trust trainees were recognised at the 2026 National Career Photo Challenge Awards and Recognition Ceremony, where photography was used to highlight career skills, resilience and rebuilding after Hurricane Melissa.

The competition formed part of National Career Awareness Week, observed February 22 to 27, 2026, under the theme “Fueling Growth, Creating Opportunities Through Career Development”. The photo challenge itself was staged under the theme “Skills in Action: Restoring Hope, Rebuilding with Purpose”.

Organisers said the initiative grew out of the National Career Poster Competition, first established in February 2017 by the Career Development Support Services Unit of the HEART/NSTA Trust, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information. After Hurricane Melissa in October 2025, the format was changed to photography to make participation more accessible for affected schools.

Participants were asked to submit photographs showing damage, recovery work and career-related skills, along with one-minute videos explaining the activity, the occupation connected to it and how it supported recovery efforts. Focus areas included construction, engineering, health, psychosocial support, agriculture, environmental recovery, emergency response, education, entrepreneurship, skill trades, community leadership, volunteerism, creative arts and entertainment.

Guest speaker Donet Zaka, founder of the Jamaica Photographic Society, urged young people to build careers with discipline, practice and integrity. She told them to follow their interests, seek guidance from experienced people and use photography to preserve Jamaica’s stories for future generations.

In the primary category, Anthony Clark of Norman Gardens Primary School placed first, Andreia Johnson of Cascade Primary and Infant School placed second, while Holland Primary School’s Shanoi Gail and Brandon Hill Primary School’s Chen Lawrence tied for third. In the secondary category, Kimora Allison of Fern Court High School won ahead of Shavia Murray of Merlin High School, while Tashka Wright of Winston Jones High School placed third.

For HEART/NSTA Trust institutions, Fabian Stewart of the Derek Rochester campus won first place, with Ebony Park Academy and the St. Elizabeth Parish Office also recognised. Partners named at the ceremony included the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, HEART/NSTA Trust, Junior Achievers Jamaica, Jamaica Library Services and Choices.