Alaska students aged 9-14 have a new opportunity to showcase their artistic talent during the 3rd annual 2023 Alaska Radon Poster Contest this fall.
Anchorage student Luciana Liu won the Alaska competition in 2022, and her poster also placed first in the national contest sponsored by the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors and American Lung Association!
Radon is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that can cause lung cancer. The U.S. Surgeon General lists radon exposure as the leading cause of lung cancer in the United States among non-smokers. This radioactive element comes from the ground and can easily enter homes and buildings through openings in the foundation.
“Students and families learn through this contest that the only way to detect the amount of radon in a home is to test for it,” said Jennifer Athey, Geologic Hazards Section Chief with the Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys (DGGS). “The annual competition is a fun way to help bring awareness of the dangers of radon.”
The top three Alaska winners will earn prizes, and the first place poster will be submitted to the national contest. New this year, a prize will also be provided to the Alaska winner’s sponsoring classroom or organization. Poster entries must be emailed or mailed with a postmark by Nov. 15, 2023 to DGGS.
More information about the contest and an entry form are available at https://dggs.alaska.gov/outreach/radon-poster.html.
The Alaska Radon Poster Contest is sponsored by DGGS, UAF Cooperative Extension, American Lung Association in Alaska, and National Extension Healthy Homes Partnership, with support from the EPA’s State Indoor Radon Grant to Alaska’s Department of Environmental Conservation’s Division of Air Quality. This grant is implemented through a partnership of DGGS and UAF Cooperative Extension.