Jamaica’s Ministry of Youth and Culture will soon be granting young people across the country free access to museums, galleries, heritage sites and exhibitions under the new Culture Card Programme.

The scheme, which is currently undergoing a pilot phase, is being prepared for a national rollout later this month. During the test phase which started in December 2013, 100 students from four schools were issued cards, which allowed them to access the non-private cultural facilities in Jamaica for free.

“The programme will give students unprecedented access to cultural offerings, free of cost,” said minister of Youth and Culture, Lisa Hanna, at the launch of the National Gallery of Jamaica, speaking on Sunday (31 August).

Over the past two years, Jamaica’s government has taken active steps to ensure its younger generation can have regular access to collections across the country.

During the pilot phase, the students gave their own assessment of the programme, as the Ministry continues to evaluate and promote youth friendly programmes that will have a national impact.