RBC I The 2021 National Radon Poster Contest is now open, giving Colorado students ages 9 to 14 a chance to educate communities about indoor radon risks, win cash prizes, and have their artwork distributed across the state or country.
The contest is designed to raise awareness about the importance of radon testing and to inform people of the dangers of radon in their homes. Posters are first entered into the Colorado contest, with the winning poster representing Colorado in the national contest.
Students enrolled in a public, private, territorial, tribal, Department of Defense, or home school are eligible to submit entries. Members of a sponsoring club, such as a scouting organization or an art, computer, science, or 4-H club also are eligible. Posters must be submitted by Nov. 20, 2020 and only one entry per student (aged 9 to 14) is allowed. Poster contest submission forms, topics, rules, and prizes may be found online at www.coloradoradon.info.
Colorado entries will be judged based on content accuracy, visual communication of the topic, reproducibility, and originality. State winners are awarded $300 for first place, $200 for second, and $100 for third. Teachers of students with winning entries will each receive $100.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, in partnership with the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, coordinates the contest each year.
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas responsible for hundreds of Colorado lung cancer deaths each year. The colorless, odorless, tasteless gas can enter homes through cracks in the foundation or other openings and can accumulate unless properly mitigated. Long-term radon exposure is the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers and the second-leading cause of lung cancer in smokers. In Colorado, about half the homes have radon levels higher than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended action level of 4 picoCuries per liter of indoor air.
Special to the Herald Times
