Date Published: 09/29/2020 [Source]
Calling all aspiring videographers: The Wyoming Department of Health is looking for you to make a short flick about the dangers of radon exposure.
It has the makings of a good thriller, protagonists who don't know the danger they're in, a faceless antagonist, life and death. The Health Department puts on an annual contest for students to alert the public about the invisible, odor-free, tasteless gas, and it has added the new video category for high schoolers.
As usual, the contest is looking for entrants in its poster contest, in which kids in grades three through nine make informational materials on the dangers of radon. They are divided into two groups — grades three through six, and seven through nine — and the top two winners of each category receive cash prizes. The classrooms of the winning students also receive prizes.
For the video contest, students in grades nine through 12 can upload their entries to Youtube, and the top three the judges choose will receive prizes, as will the video with the most views. Information on entries and details to include can be found on the Health Department website.
"We are asking Wyoming's youth to use their creativity to help us tell the story of radon and its risks," Star Jones, the Health Department's cancer program manger, said in a press release.
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is emitted as rocks break down. Some areas, including Teton County, have higher levels of radon, which can contribute to a heightened risk of lung cancer.
The deadline for entries in the contest is Nov. 6, and the winners will used to promote National Radon Awareness Month, which is in January. Email Jones at star.jones@wyo.gov with questions.