In a bid to unearth talented students and come up with something different in the process, the Mr and Miss May Day High competitions have been incorporated and the result, so far, has exceeded all expectations. The competition, the first of which was the brainchild of Jamaica and Caribbean fashion model Althea Laing, in 2006, is not a beauty pageant but one based on talent, academics, general deportment and involvement in school activities.

Miss Jamaica 2009, Kerry Baylis, greats the May Day High School contestants.

On Tuesday, February 16, the sashing took place at the Tropics View Hotel in Mandeville, to the delight of guest speaker, Miss Jamaica 2009, Kerry Baylis, and her chaperone, Terri-Karelle Griffiths, Miss Jamaica World 2005.

The coronation show will be held on Saturday, March 20, at the Cecil Charlton Hall on Hargreaves Avenue in Mandeville, at 6:30 p.m., under the theme 'Jamaican Youth: One in a Million'. The guest artistes will include Laden, and Tippa from Instense will be a guest judge. All proceeds from this competition will go towards a well-needed school auditorium.

The contestants can be viewed on Facebook by entering the name Sonia Ennis in the search engine. The general public will also be allowed to vote for their favourite contestant. The coordinator for this year's show, Raquel Walters, is hoping that winners will receive help from their sponsors in their pursuit of a secondary education.

Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Ronald Jackson (right); parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Senator Warren Newby (centre), and President of the National Police Youth Club Council, Clarence Ennis, discuss the elements of a proposed memorandum of understanding between the ministry and the ODPEM on providing training to members of youth organisations across the island in disaster preparedness. It is hoped that the ODPEM and other stakeholders will train 2,000 participants each year for three years.