CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 01/03/18

Georgia students recognized for radon awareness posters

By Merritt Melancon

As part of a contest conducted by University of Georgia Cooperative Extension’s Radon Education Program, students from across the state created posters highlighting the dangers of radon, an odorless, colorless, flavorless radioactive gas that is present in some Georgia soils.

Almost 200 posters were submitted in the state-level competition, and three were selected to enter the National Radon Poster Contest, sponsored by the Conference of Radiation Control Program and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Charlotte Moser, a seventh-grade student at Clarke Middle School in Athens, Georgia, won first place for her horror movie-inspired poster of a radon cloud enveloping a castle.

Jeff Peek, an eighth-grade student from Stockbridge Middle School in Stockbridge, Georgia, won second place for his hauntingly informative poster featuring a realistic skull.

Flor Campos-Robles, a fifth-grade student and Clarke County 4-H member from Athens, Georgia, won third place with her poster featuring a house that appears to be feeling under the weather and warns about the dangers of radon.

The UGA Extension Radon Education Program celebrates student artwork through the Radon Awareness Poster Contest each January in honor of National Radon Action Month. 

All three of this year’s winners will meet with Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal in January to show him their posters and thank him for his proclamation recognizing January as National Radon Action Month.

Radon is a naturally occurring gas that can seep through home foundations and into homes, making the air unsafe for residents. Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. In Georgia, homes in the northern counties are more likely to have high levels of radon, but all homes are susceptible.

Radon can be extracted from homes, but only if families know that they need remediation services. Radon testing is not a part of basic home inspections that homebuyers order when purchasing a home, but simple home radon tests are available from UGA Extension. To get a test kit, contact your local UGA Extension office or visit www.UGAradon.org.

UGA Extension uses the radon poster contest as a vehicle to educate people about the UGA Radon Education Program. Nine- to 14-year-olds across the state can design a poster to help alert the general public about the dangers of radon and how they can keep their families safe.

The posters can focus one of five themes:

  • What is radon?
  • Where does radon come from?
  • How does radon get into our homes?
  • Radon can cause lung cancer.
  • Test your home for radon.

The deadline for entries is usually in September. Teachers and parents can learn more about the contest at www.UGAradon.org.

Merritt Melancon, a public relations manager for the UGA Terry College of Business, previously served as a public relations coordinator for the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and UGA Extension.

Authors:
Merritt Melancon
Experts/Sources:
Pamela R. Turner
Charlotte Moser, a seventh-grader from Clarke Middle School in Athens, Georgia, won first place for her horror movie-inspired poster of a radon cloud enveloping a castle in the 2017 poster contest held by University of Georgia Cooperative Extension's Radon Education Program. Flor Campos-Robles, a fifth-grade Clarke County 4-H member from Athens, Georgia, won third place with her poster featuring a house that appears to be feeling under weather and warns about the dangers of radon. Jeff Peek, an eighth-grader from Stockbridge Middle School in Stockbridge, Georgia, won second place for his hauntingly informative poster featuring a realistic skull in the 2017 poster contest held by University of Georgia Cooperative Extension's Radon Education Program.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Download Image
Some of the University of Georgia's extended campuses saw damage from Hurricane Helene. (Photo courtesy of Adam Fouche) CAES News
Relief efforts continue after Hurricane Helene 10/04/24
The University of Georgia community has rallied in the wake of Hurricane Helene, coming together to address damage done to campus facilities while also lending a helping hand to friends and neighbors hit hardest by the storm. While UGA’s main campus weathered the storm with relatively minor damage, the same could not be said for the Tifton campus, where heavy rains and high winds brought down trees and power lines, leaving the campus and surrounding area without power.
The University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education & Hotel saw some damage from the winds and rain of Hurricane Helene. (Photo by Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA) CAES News
UGA weathers Hurricane Helene 09/27/24
The University of Georgia’s main campus was fortunate to emerge relatively unscathed after Hurricane Helene barreled through the state early Friday morning. However, the impact was more significant at our extended campus locations. While the UGA Griffin campus reported no major damage, UGA-Tifton was hit much harder, with dozens of downed trees and power outages, as well as flooding in several buildings. Damage to farm operations across south Georgia appears to be extensive.
Brooklyne Wassel and colleague Philip Hensley developed the Master Forager program after popular demand from residents in their counties. CAES News
Participants in UGA Extension's Master Forager program find a taste for the wild 09/19/24 Becky Mills
On an unseasonably warm winter afternoon, three women armed with baskets and shears made their way along a nature trail in the woods of Pike County, Georgia. Peering into the underbrush, they stopped occasionally to examine spots of interest in and under the trees and around fallen logs and decaying stumps. A curious observer might wonder what they were searching for with such intent — unless they overheard the trio’s conversation. 
Radon, an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas, is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., but it can be detected and mitigated with the help of local University of Georgia Cooperative Extension offices across the state. CAES News
UGA sponsoring radon poster contest for Georgia students 09/13/24 Rebecca Cantrell
Radon, an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas, is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., but it can be detected and mitigated with the help of local University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service offices across the state. Radon comes from the breakdown of uranium in granite and rocky soils, so Georgia’s wealth of granite bedrock increases the chance of household radon for its residents.
Recent rankings from Forbes and The Princeton Review demonstrate continued excellence. CAES News
UGA ranks among best universities in the nation 08/30/24
The University of Georgia continues to solidify its position among the nation’s most prestigious institutions of higher education. “The University of Georgia’s impressive rankings by a host of national publications reflect the tremendous talent and hard work of our exceptional faculty, staff and students,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “While individual rankings can fluctuate from year to year, UGA’s consistently strong performance across a wide range of criteria speaks to our position among the nation’s leading universities.”
Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium CAES News
Keep on the grass 08/29/24 Emily Cabrera, Scott Michaux
When the University of Georgia Bulldogs step between the hedges at Sanford Stadium, the grass on Dooley Field needs to look perfect. More importantly, though, it needs to help safeguard the health of athletes who compete on it. Gerald Henry plays a big role in the latter. The UGA Athletic Association’s endowed professor in environmental turfgrass leads a research team in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences committed to creating sports fields that look good and perform well to limit the occurrence of injuries.