The National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI Worldwide) announced its continued support of the "International Poster Contest for Youth" for 2003-04. In the more than 20 years since the International Poster Contest for Youth and its allied environmental-educational organizations have been involved in seeking solutions to the problems of pollution and depletion of the world’s marine resources, young people from all over the world have submitted entries to the contest.
With this year’s theme "Protect Marine Turtles", contest organizers hope that contestants around the world will bring their creativity to bear on ways everyone can help protect these endangered reptiles.
NAUI is proud to be a regular sponsor of this annual event, along with other sponsors United Nations Environment Programme, The Explorers Club, The International Oceanographic Foundation, Wyland Foundation, The Underwater Society of America, DAN, DEMA, CMC, and the Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences. The program’s director is NAUI Instructor John C. Fine (NAUI #4431).
Marine turtles return to the same beaches where they were born to deposit their eggs. When eggs hatch out the little turtles make their way down to the water. Some hatchlings are snatched by birds while others are devoured by fish. Research studies show that only one in 2,500 hatchlings survives to adulthood. Pollution, insecticide and pesticide use, plastic debris floating in the oceans that turtles eat thinking it jellyfish, fishing nets, monofilament fishing line, predation on nesting beaches and the use of turtles and turtle eggs by humans for food, have taken a serious toll on marine turtles jeopardizing their survival in the wild. The special wonder of these marine creatures, their natural history and endangered status is this year’s contest theme.
You can sponsor a group of children and youth in your community to enter this year’s contest. The International Poster Contest for Youth strives to encourage young people everywhere to become aware of and share their concerns for the marine environment through poster art. Their messages will be brought to the widest possible audience to create a stronger commitment to protect the very environment on which all life on this planet depends.
As a long-term goal, contest organizers hope to encourage a sponsor in each nation to organize their own National Poster Contest and send the winning entries (three secondary and three primary schools) to compete in the contest. The International Poster Contest for Youth is open to all young people 19 years of age or younger within two contest groups, Kindergarten through sixth grade, and seventh grade through twelfth grade. A panel of judges, recognized for their work in the marine environment, public service and the arts will be assembled to view and select the winners. First, second and third place medals will be awarded along with Honorable Mention Certificates.
The winning poster will be the front cover of NAUI’s Sources Magazine, and contest winners will be announced in Sources after the May 2004 deadline. Entries must be received in New York by May 25, 2004. For more detailed information, you can download the Official Contest Entry Form.
NAUI Worldwide is the oldest and most respected dive training and certifying organization in the world, and offers a full range of training programs from Skin Diver through Instructor Course Director, with dozens of specialty courses including Nitrox and Technical diving. Thousands of NAUI Worldwide member instructors, dive businesses, resorts, and service centers are located in countries throughout the world. For further information on NAUI Worldwide affiliated stores, resorts, and certified diving instruction, contact NAUI Worldwide, (813) 628-6284 or http://www.naui.org.
