In an effort to raise awareness among Jamaica’s youth about the importance of the environment, the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation in partnership with several government entities, will launch the Youth Environmental Advocacy Programme (YEAP).

In keeping with the Rio +20 Declaration which highlighted the need for the youth to be more involved in creating the future they want, the Programme seeks to increase their knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the environment, and to promote the commitment  of youth to the principles of environmental conservation and protection..

The YEAP will be used as a platform to share the government’s programmes relating to the conservation and protection of the island’s natural resources.

The YEAP is different from other environmental programmes in that young people will have the opportunity to interact directly with the persons who work on policies and programmes relating to the environment, within the various Government Agencies and Departments.

Discussions at the regional and international levels will also be shared to garner interest as well as to highlight Jamaica’s participation in environmental matters, as a party to several multilateral environmental agreements.

The target group for the YEAP, is high school students between the ages of 11 and 19, as it was felt that this age cohort will be the next generation to influence change.  As such, it is important to stimulate voluntary actions among this group and to encourage them to become environmental stewards.

The Programme will be conducted through interactive participatory sessions on various topics including environmental management, climate change, biodiversity, waste management and ozone depletion. 

The launch of the YEAP will take place this Thursday June 30, at the Holy Childhood Auditorium