ALEXANDRIA, VA — The American Geological Institute is proud to announce the winners of three Earth Science Week contests. These contests were designed to encourage students and the public to participate in this annual celebration that recognizes the importance of Earth sciences in our lives. This year’s contests included an art contest for elementary-school children, an essay contest for secondary-school students, and a photography contest open to all ages. Winners in each contest were selected from more than 450 entries.

    The winner of the art contest, featuring the theme “Water World,” is Janet Jonasson's First Grade Class at Madison Elementary School in Indio, CA. Their collective artwork, entitled “Water: Every Drop Counts,” was displayed during Earth Science Week, October 13-19, at the U.S. Geological Survey’s headquarters building outside Washington, DC. The winner of the essay contest, “A Day in the Life of a Water Molecule,” is Grier Simmons, age 13, of Iron Station, NC. His essay, “Drizzle’s Day,” will be published in a future issue of Geotimes, AGI’s monthly newsmagazine of the Earth sciences. The winner of the photography contest is Ray Kenny of Durango, CO, who submitted a photograph taken at Willis Creek in southeastern Utah. This winning photograph will also be published in a future issue of Geotimes. Winning entries and finalists for each of these three contests can be viewed by visiting the Earth Science Week web site, http://www.earthsciweek.org.

    This year’s Earth Science Week celebration was a tremendous success, with events held in cities across the U.S. and in several countries. Earth Science Week 2002 was officially proclaimed by 19 states and was recognized by President George W. Bush. “The Earth science industry is helping to improve the lives of Americans and people throughout the world. Dedicated and highly skilled geologists, geophysicists, and other Earth and environmental scientists are working to protect and preserve our natural resources and environment. Their efforts are also keeping us safe from natural disasters and promoting our appreciation for the beauty and grandeur of nature,” wrote President Bush.

    The theme for Earth Science Week 2002 was “Water is All Around You,” emphasizing the importance of water as one of the Earth's greatest natural resources. This theme coincided with the declaration of 2002 as the Year of Clean Water, marking the 30th anniversary of the Clean Water Act.

    The goal of Earth Science Week is to increase the public’s understanding of geology and the Earth sciences so that citizens can make informed decisions concerning land management and use, address environmental and ecological issues, prepare for and recover from natural disasters, and appreciate the beauty and wonder of the natural world. This annual event, celebrated during the second full week in October, offers students opportunities to discover the Earth sciences and provides geoscientists and Earth-science organizations the opportunity to share their knowledge and enthusiasm about the Earth and how it works.

    To participate in future Earth Science Week celebrations, visit the Earth Science Week web site at http://www.earthsciweek.org or contact Cynthia Martinez, Earth Science Week Coordinator, at (703) 379- 2480 ext. 227 or cmm@agiweb.org.

    The American Geological Institute is a nonprofit federation of 40 geoscientific and professional associations that represent
more than 120,000 geologists, geophysicists, and other earth scientists. Founded in 1948, AGI provides information services
to geoscientists, serves as a voice of shared interests in our profession, plays a major role in strengthening geoscience
education, and strives to increase public awareness of the vital role the geosciences play in mankind's use of resources and
interaction with the environment. More information about AGI can be found at http://www.agiweb.org/. The Institute also
provides a public-outreach web site, http://www.earthscienceworld.org/.

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