Education

Student of the Week

Michael Barnes, a senior at Forestville Military Academy, was named Student of the Week for the Prince George's County public school system.

He has a 3.81 grade-point average and has taken Advanced Placement courses in biology and world history, honors English and pre-calculus. He is a member of the Evironthon Club, yearbook staff and basketball team, and he serves as a class officer. He plans to pursue a college degree and work as a computer engineer. He has been accepted to Ohio State, West Virginia and Morgan State universities. He was an intern at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, is ranked first lieutenant and has earned more than 100 community service hours.

Tax Assistance

Bowie State University students certified by the Internal Revenue Service will provide free assistance to low-income students and Bowie residents who need help filing federal income tax forms.

The students will be supervised by the university's accounting faculty through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program. The students will provide help filing the federal 1049EZ or 1040A forms. Taxpayers are asked to bring W2 and 1099 forms.

The students will be available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays until March 14 at Bowie State University's Center for Business and Graduate Studies, rooms 3335 and 3327, 14000 Jericho Park Rd. For information, call 301-860-3635 or 301-860-3635.

Technical Competition Winners

Several Prince George's County high school students were among the first-, second- and third-place winners in Maryland's SkillsUSA regional contest, hosted Feb. 8 at Crossland High School. About 65 students from Prince George's and Montgomery counties participated in the competition in a variety of occupational and skill categories. The winners will advance to state and national competitions later this year.

The categories and local winners include: Culinary Arts, first place, Letitia Jenkins, Bladensburg High School; second place, Yvonna Badon, Bladensburg High School. Commercial Baking, first place, Anthony Thompson-Shaw, Crossland Technical Academy; second place, Diana Lima, Bladensburg High School; third place, Priyadarshin Persaud, Bladensburg High School. Food and Beverage, third place, Courtney Randall, Bladensburg High School. Cosmetology, first place, Taren Rice, Crossland Technical Academy; second place, Vivian Ivey, Crossland Technical Academy. Internetworking, first place, Lowell Wooden, Crossland Technical Academy; second place, Eric Drew, Crossland Technical Academy and Shawntae' Miles, Crossland Technical Academy.

Teach-In

Members of the Oxon Hill High School chapter of the Sierra Student Coalition hosted a day of activities Jan. 31 to teach their school peers about global warming, as part of a national environmental education initiative.

The national effort, dubbed "Focus the Nation," drew participation from more than 1,000 schools throughout the country.

The Oxon Hill students, part of a nationwide youth environmental activism group, sponsored workshops at the school with scientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, professors from the University of Maryland and Catholic University and environmental activists from the Sierra Club and the Chesapeake Climate Action Network.

-- Compiled by AKEYA DICKSON