PRESS RELEASE - March 09, 2006

Two new websites are available to help students with science education. The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA)’s Pickney Ting and the Jamaica Clearing-House Mechanism (JACHM), Students’ Website were launched Wednesday March 8, at NEPA’s head office at 11 Caledonia Avenue. 

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Land and Environment Mr. Donovan Stanberry headed the guest list which included students, teachers and other members of the public. He reminded the students not to contribute to the litter problem of the country but to act in a manner that will make the environment one that everybody can enjoy. Students came from St. Hugh’s Preparatory, Mico Practising School and Wolmer’s Trust High School for Boys. 

NEPA’s ‘Pickney Ting’, a combined effort of the organization’s staff, is a collection of stories, poems, facts and activities that will teach children between the ages of 4 and 12 about their environment and how to protect it. According to Dr. Grace Turner, Manager of NEPA’s Public Education and Corporate Communication Branch, Pickney Ting “promises to be both educational and interactive” with fun-filled and exciting games and other activities.  The sites were developed primarily to help foster a spirit of environmental stewardship among our young. 

The JACHM website was created as a part of the Institute of Jamaica’s (IOJ) mandate to disseminate information on biodiversity to the local community. Like NEPA, the JACHM has recognized that relevant information on Biodiversity is not readily available to high school students, and as such, the website aims to provide information in a format similar to that of the Caribbean Advance Proficiency Exam (CAPE) Biology Syllabus.

The public is being invited to view the websites at the following address www.nepa.gov.jm/kids and www.jamaicachm.org.jm .