By Shelby Egan
The Asthma Awareness Poster contest was a fun and creative approach to bring asthma awareness to kids. It allowed them to showcase their knowledge about asthma using their artistic skills. 3rd-8th grade students in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin were invited to participate. Students were encouraged to learn more about asthma and submit their artwork depicting various aspects of asthma. Possible poster topics included good asthma control and management, avoiding asthma triggers, physical activity and asthma, asthma medication, and asthma and the environment. There were two categories based on grade levels: 3rd-5th and 6th-8th. First, second, and third place winners were chosen in each category based on originality, content accuracy, visual communication, and reproducibility.
Having taken art classes from kindergarten all the way through high school, I was excited to see how students can display their artistic talent in a poster contest! Art contests like this were not available to me in grade school, but had they been, I would have worked much harder in art class. I was ecstatic to see the wide variety of artistic talent and clever ways students are raising awareness about the chronic respiratory disease. Better yet, it was great knowing that students were not only able to have fun in creating their posters but also learned about the different aspects of asthma.
All who entered were recognized for their participation. The winners are honored for their commendable efforts and creative representations of asthma.
Congratulations to the winners:
3rd-5th grade: 1st place Michael P., 4th grade from Illinois; 2nd place Cristian D., 4th grade from Illinois; 3rd place William B., 4th grade from Illinois
6th-8th grade: 1st place Alanna B., 8th grade from Illinois; 2nd place Sameera H., 8th grade from Illinois; 3rd place Ivy G., 8th grade from Minnesota
View the winning artwork at http://www.epa.gov/region5/asthmapostercontest/index.html
Shelby Egan is a student volunteer in EPA's Air and Radiation Division in Region 5, and is currently obtaining her Master's Degree in Urban Planning and Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has a passion for protecting natural resources, cities she's never been to and cooking any recipe by The Pioneer Woman.