Nevada students are invited to showcase their artistic talents and promote radon awareness by entering the 2018 Nevada Radon Poster Contest, offered by University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s Radon Education Program. The Oct. 31deadline to enter is fast approaching.

The contest is open to all children ages 9 to 14 years old enrolled in public, private, territorial, tribal, Department of Defense and home schools. Children can also enter through a sponsoring group, such as art, computer, library, reading, science, scouting, youth or 4-H clubs.

Cash prizes for the top three entries are $75 for first place, $60 for second and $45 for third. The top three entries are also awarded cash prizes for their teachers or sponsoring organization’s representative toward classroom supplies. Each poster winner will also receive a Radon Eye+, a real-time smart indoor radon gas detector donated by Radon FT Lab, as well as other radon giveaways. The first-place entry goes on to compete in the National Radon Poster Contest.

The Nevada Radon Poster Contest is part of Cooperative Extension’s work to raise awareness of the dangers of radon in homes. An extension provides educational presentations and low-cost radon test kits year-round, and since 2008, more than 26,264 homes in Nevada have been tested. Of 21,610 valid test results collected, 5,370 homes had elevated radon concentrations. Once radon is detected, there are fairly easy, inexpensive ways to reduce the radon exposure and reduce the risk of lung cancer.

Posters in this year’s poster contest should convey one of these messages: 1) What is radon? 2) Where does radon come from? 3) How does radon get into our homes? 4) Radon can cause lung cancer, and 5) Test your home for radon. Posters will be judged on content accuracy, visual communication of the topic, reproducibility, and originality. They can be created with crayon, markers, paint, collage, pencil, photographs or computer graphics.

There is no fee to enter, but each child is limited to one entry. Entries must be received at4955 Energy Way, Reno, NV 89502 by 5 p.m., Oct. 31.

Contact Nadia Noel, radon education coordinator for Cooperative Extension, at 775-336-0252 or noeln@unce.unr.edu for more information on the contest.