Tsunami awareness poster contest underway

Attention students: It’s time to get out your pencils, crayons, paint or any other medium to create a tsunami awareness poster.

Students in grades kindergarten through 12 at any recognized public, private or home school can take part in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, state Civil Defense, Honolulu City and County Department of Emergency Management, American Red Cross and Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam-sponsored contest. The contest began March 5 and runs through March 21.

All content entries will be displayed in Honolulu Hale during the month of April. April is tsunami awareness month in Hawaii.

A selection panel of from the federal, state, county and nonprofit agencies sponsoring the contest will judge the entries and select a winner. The winner will be announced at a joint city and state news conference and he/she will be the voice of civil defense for the month of April and will receive an emergency preparedness kit.

Second and third place prizes will also be awarded an emergency preparedness kit.

Neighbor island finalists will receive a round trip flight courtesy of Hawaiian Airlines to the ceremony for themselves and an adult.

Students are limited to one entry and all work must be done individually; no group submissions will be accepted. The entry must be on a single sheet of 8.5-inch by 14-inch white, nonglossy paper. A description must accompany the artwork.

Any medium, such as colored pencils, crayons and paint, is acceptable; however, computer-generated graphics will not be accepted.

The back of each entry must be labeled with the student’s name, age, and grade, along with the teacher’s name, school name, address, and telephone number in pencil.

Entries, which must be postmarked by March 21, should be sent to State Civil Defense, Attn: Shelly Kunishige, 3949 Diamond Head Road, Honolulu, HI 96816-4495.