• Two Geneva College students have presented papers at a scholarly conference. David Ketter, of Oakdale, who is studying biblical studies/sociology, and Gregory Williams, of Chicago, who is studying history, participated with sociology professor Brad Frey in the recent conference at Bethel University in Minneapolis, Minn.

• Three students from Parkway West Career and Technology Center represented the school at the Career and Technical Celebration held at the Capitol in Harrisburg.

The students, all from the health assistant program, were Alexis Valenti, a junior from West Allegheny; Ali Almasy, a junior from Moon Area; and Jerrica Close, a junior from Carlynton.

• Moon Area School District students were awarded second-place honors and $600 to make the district a greener place in the first Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens Fairchild Challenge.

Representing Moon Area in the competition were freshmen Valerie Snaman, Jenna Murray and Vaughan Sulkava; sophomores Kenna Markel, Erin Kaminski and Tommy McAuliffe; and junior Madeline Scanlon.

Moon Area students challenged 11 Western Pennsylvania school districts in 10 environmental competitions between October and May. The challenges promoted environmental awareness and stewardship in a cross-section of students, teachers and communities.

• The American Legion Awards for Scholarship and Citizenship from Frank R. Kirk Post 145 have been awarded to Danny Mozley and Katie Kennedy, eighth-graders at St. Philip Catholic School in Crafton.

The Catholic Daughters of America Chartiers Council presented Christian leadership awards to Laura Baric Tarnow, Andrew Graziano, Kirby Crabbe and Anthony Gioia.

Rachel Rattay, Kirby Crabbe and Lexi Wivell were presented the principal's award for a 4.0 grade point average for the entire year.

• Moon Area High School freshmen and Oracle Academy students Anurag Purker and Vidisha Sharma received an honorable mention in the Oracle International Data Modeling Competition among more than 100 competing teams from around the globe. Among entries from United States students, Moon Area's pair placed third.

Student teams from high schools, technical schools and community colleges on four continents competed to develop business models that address real world business challenges and use analytical and technical skills that are desired in the global marketplace.

• Kathleen Lageman, an eighth-grader at St. Philip Catholic School in Crafton, was awarded a $3,000 scholarship from the Bishop Wuerl Scholarship Fund to attend Bishop Canevin High School.

The fund, which is affiliated with Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania, was established in 2004 in honor of Bishop Wuerl's participation in Junior Achievement as a high school student.

• These students were division winners in the Thinking Caps Olympiad at St. Philip Catholic School in Crafton: Kevin Costantino, Caitlin Donahue, Ashley Mell and Athena Pyros for grades three, four and five; and Bailey Burgess, Simon Grefenstette, Shane Buckley, Haley Cozad and Casey LaBuda for grades six, seven and eight.

• Nehemiah Immanuel Norris, who just finished eighth grade at Sewickley Academy, has received a partial academic scholarship for the three-week Oxbridge summer program at Oxford University in England.

The program is taught by Rhodes and Marshall Scholars. Nehemiah has selected International Marketing and a Debate class as his courses.

• Moon eighth-grader Joelle Swyka, who is visually impaired, won a statewide Braille essay contest in the middle school category and was honored June 9 at the State Capitol in Harrisburg.

She detailed her favorite pastime of completing jigsaw and Sudoku puzzles in the contest sponsored by the Pennsylvania Council for the Blind for students with visual impairments.

Joelle wrote her three-page essay and edited it with the help of Diane Sahar, her Allegheny Intermediate Unit teacher, using a Brailler machine, which utilizes six keys that represent the six dots in the language.