Date Published: 10/23/2020 [Source]
The Wyoming Department of Health is encouraging Cowboy State students to enter a new video contest or this year's poster contest aimed at highlighting radon information and encouraging testing.
Radon is an invisible, odorless, tasteless radioactive gas found in the soil that can sometimes reach dangerous levels in homes.
"While all homes have radon, higher levels of radon can mean a health concern linked to lung cancer," said Star Jones, Wyoming Cancer Program manager with the Department of Health.
"We are asking Wyoming's youth to use their creativity to help us tell the story of radon and its risks," Jones said.
The new video contest is open to students in grades nine through 12. Video entries will be uploaded to YouTube. The top three videos chosen by judges will receive money prizes, and the video with the most views will also receive a prize.
Poster contest entries will be divided into one group for grades three through six, and another for grades seven through nine. The top two winners in each group will receive money prizes, as will the classrooms of the winning students.
Complete rules and important details about what's required for submitting entries for either contest can be found at health.wyo.gov/radon. Information can also be found about radon and its risks in Wyoming.
The deadline for both contests is Nov. 6.
Jones said the winning videos and posters will be used to help promote radon awareness month, which occurs each January.
Questions about the video and poster contests may be directed to Jones at star.jones@wyo.gov.