• Students at Providence Heights Alpha School in McCandless were award winners in the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Sciences state science competition in May at Penn State University.

These were the winners and their projects:

First-place -- Natalie Nash, of Shaler, "The Choice of Running Surface and Impact on the Human Body," and Megan Wasson, of Fox Chapel, "Protection of Plants from Free Radicals Using Antioxidants."

Second-place -- Tiffany Kollah, of Marshall, "Impact of Paint Color on Energy Absorption;" Annie Malady, of Franklin Park, "The Effectiveness of Detergents on Oil Covered Feathers;" Christopher Sawicki, of Wexford, "Performance of Golf Balls Based on Composition;" and Megan Schoming, of McCandless, "The Effect of Herbicide Retention on Seed Growth."

• Brooke Sippel, a 2008 eighth-grade graduate of St. Alphonsus School in Pine, has won a $200 U.S. Savings Bond and a $50 bookstore gift card from the Cranberry Lions Club for her poster for the Lions' annual PEACE contest. She also earned first place at the district level.

• Seven high school students from North Allegheny School District have been selected to participate in the 2008 Pennsylvania Governor's Schools of Excellence in these areas: Brett Freithaler, music; Madison Micucci, theater; Albert Wang, information, society and technology; April Cummins, international studies; Katherine Luo, science; Nimish Telang, science; and Kerri Woodward, science.

The Pennsylvania Governor's Schools of Excellence are sponsored by the state Department of Education. The comprehensive residential summer programs are held on college campuses and focus on developing the talents of talented students.

• Two sixth-graders at McIntyre Elementary School in the North Hills School District earned top honors in the 2007-08 Pennsylvania Archaeology Month Essay Contest, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Archaeological Council.

Abby Lucas earned first place and Anthony Sciulli finished third in the fourth- through sixth-grade category. The theme was "What are archaeological sites and why is it important to protect them?"

Abby and Anthony will be recognized this summer at an awards ceremony at the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission in Harrisburg.

According to the organization's Web site, submissions were judged on originality, understanding of archaeology theory and creative approach to site protection. For more information, visit www.pennarchaeologymonth.org/contest.htm.

• Seventh-graders Misha Demchuk, Madison Fox and Caitlyn Cindrich and eighth-graders Gabe Edwards, Kylan Robert Hill and Colin Staudt, all of Seneca Valley Middle School, were honored recently by the Cranberry Township Lions Club for their commitment to service, academic effort and overall initiative.

Each received a $50 bookstore gift card and award certificate. Students and their parents were treated to dinner at a Lions Club meeting.

• Two Mars Area pupils earned first-place wins in the 15^th annual Western Pennsylvania Scholastic Chess Tournament held June 14 and 15 at Carnegie Mellon University.

Ashwin Anbu, a fourth-grader at Mars Area Elementary School, won the kindergarten through fifth grade section championship. Kyle C. Deddo, a sixth-grader at Mars Area Middle School, placed first in the grades six through 12 advanced section.

For more information, visit www.youthchess.net.

• Carley R. Riggin, of Marshall, was awarded an annual $3,000 scholarship by the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She is a student at Washington and Jefferson College.

Ms. Riggin has a 3.6 grade point average and is on the dean's list.

A graduate of North Allegheny High School, she is a member of Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity, the Order of Omega Honorary Greek Society and Kappa Kappa Gamma.

• A Seneca Valley senior recently earned national recognition in the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland's 2008 Essay Contest, "Life After High School."

Kristin Cukovich, a senior from Renfrew in Penn, was named a semifinalist in the competition. She received a $50 U.S. Savings Bond for her essay, "An Economic View of My Future."