Student Poster Contest Helps Raise Radon Awareness

Can youngsters between the ages of 9 and 14 years old play a leading role in increasing our nation’s awareness of radon's contribution to indoor air toxicity? You bet they can—proves the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the folks at National Radon Program Services, a program based at Kansas State University (KSU). For the last five years, the EPA and KSU have jointly sponsored the National Radon Poster Contest; a nationwide competition that's drawn over 4,000 entries from 33 states, six tribal nations and a military installation.

This year's contest winner, Logan, is a 14-year-old eighth grader at Hollywood Academy of Arts and Science, in Hollywood, FL. Her winning poster features a stylized X-ray view of a father and son that highlights their lungs. The text warns, "Radon can cause Lung Cancer," and advises people to "keep your family safe."

Darwin, age 9 from Virginia Beach, VA, was the second-place winner, with a poster that asks; "Do you test your home for Radon?" Both first and second place winners were invited to Washington, DC for the awards presentation, where they were accompanied by a teacher and parent. The presentation took place during the Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools National Symposium.

Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer amongst nonsmokers and is the cause of an estimated 21,000 deaths each year. The radon experts at National Radon Defense increase radon awareness each day and offer radon testing and radon mitigation to help prevent and fight against the effects of radon exposure.

Poster entries are accepted from March through October. If you'd like the schools in your community to get involved, visit the National Radon Poster Contest website for more information.

Here are the 2nd and 3rd place posters, and an honorable mention.

Published by National Radon Defense on 03/11/2011