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NEI Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 20, 2003

Nation's Youth Create Visions of Eye Health

National Eye Institute and Boys & Girls Clubs of America Announce Healthy Vision Poster Contest Winners

Children's eyes are windows to the world through which they absorb and experience the colors and life around them. Keeping eyes healthy is a national public health priority for children, parents, and other caregivers. In keeping with this spirit, the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the Federal government's National Institutes of Health, recently teamed with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to sponsor a nationwide Healthy Vision Poster Contest.

Two grand prize winners, one for ages 6 to 9 and one for ages 10 to 12, were selected from a pool of 531 entries. The winners are:

• Ages 6 to 9: Tabatha, Nashua, NH (Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua)
• Ages 10 to 12: Michael, San Francisco, CA (Columbia Park Boys & Girls Clubhouse)

"Promoting healthy vision is one of the ways we can work together to improve the health of our nation," said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson. "By using a creative outlet like the Healthy Vision Poster Contest, we raise awareness and educate youth, parents, and caregivers about the importance of practicing routine eye care and safety."

We are never too young to learn good health practices, especially when it comes to preserving our sight, according to Paul A. Sieving, M.D., Ph.D., director of the NEI. "To improve quality of life for our children, we must reach out to communities in collaborative and educational ways," Dr. Sieving said. "NEI's Healthy Vision Poster Contest is an excellent example of how we are working together to raise awareness and inspire good eye health practices from a local perspective."

As part of the national outreach effort for the contest, NEI provided each participating Boys & Girls Club with educational materials. These materials included the NEI's science-based school curriculum, VISION, that provided local educators and mentors with the opportunity and tools to talk with children about the importance of eye health. Using the contest theme of "See All You Can See," children from more than 52 Boys & Girls Clubs of America created colorful posters to illustrate their unique visions of the importance of sight.

"It's vitally important that we, as parents, educators, and mentors, take time to teach our children about eye health and help them establish a lifelong commitment to maintaining their sight," said Jenny Atkinson, senior director of education and the arts for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. "Our work with the National Eye Institute during the Healthy Vision Poster Contest provided us with an opportunity to educate children in our communities through creative avenues."

The two grand prize winners will receive a $100 U.S. Savings Bond. Their artwork will be used during NEI's Healthy Vision Month celebration in May.

The poster contest is part of the health education efforts of Healthy Vision 2010 that represents the vision objectives in Healthy People 2010, a program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Through partnerships and collaboration with organizations such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, NEI's eye health messages reach communities nationwide.

For additional information about the Healthy Vision Poster Contest visit www.healthyvision2010.org/postercontest; for information about NEI, visit www.nei.nih.gov.

The National Eye Institute (NEI) is part of the National Institutes of Health, and is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The NEI's research on eye diseases and disorders leads to sight-saving treatments and plays a key role in reducing visual impairment and blindness.