The Veterans High School Reading Bowl team recently won second place in the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl State Championship.

The students read books nominated for the Georgia Peach Teen Reader’s Choice Award and participate in a “Jeopardy”-style event consisting of questions about the books.

The team, consisting of six students -- Ashley Morgan, Stephanie Howard, Bailee Morgan, Haley Stuckey, Emily Bush and Brianna Pierce -- advanced to the state competition after winning first place in regionals held in Jones County.

The students won first place again at the divisional competition in Bulloch County, before losing to Ola High School, of McDonough, at the state level.

Former Rutland student receives FVSU honors

A former Rutland High School student received top honors at Fort Valley State University’s 61st annual honors convocation ceremony.

Dominique Vidal Nichols was awarded the Henry A. Hunt Award, according to a news release from the university.

Nichols, a graduate who studied English at FVSU, is the son of Lisa M. Corbin of Macon.

Houston career academy team wins second place in STEM challenge

The Houston County Career Academy Health Information Technology team won second place for best overall entry in the 2012 STEM Web Challenge.

The state competition, sponsored by the TAG Education Collaborative, hopes to “advance Georgia’s goal to become a leader and innovator for science, technology, engineering or math-related education,” according to a news release.

Teams were required to build mobile web applications to teach other students a STEM topic in a new and engaging way.

The team, consisting of Carlie Wilt and Silvia Soto, created a website describing how they taught eighth-grade students at Warner Robins Middle School about health information technology careers.

Wilt and Soto each received a $750 scholarship, and their Healthcare Science advisor, Krista Lowe, received $500 for the school’s healthcare program.

Their website can be visited at www.wix.com/jacobglandon/houstoncountyhealthit.

Bibb schools offering career summer camps

Students in Bibb County schools will have a chance to explore non-traditional careers through weeklong camps this summer,

Mentoring a Girl in Construction will take place June 4-8 at Westside High School. Participants will get a pink hard hat and build a lamp and wooden box, listen to guest speakers and go on a field trip.

Girls Auto Know will take place June 11-15 at Hutchings Career Academy. The camp will teach girls about car care and maintenance.

Men in Medicine will take place June 11-15 at Hutchings Career Academy. Male students will participate in hands-on activities related to medical fields that include taking vital signs and performing CPR.

Each camp is free for rising ninth, 10th and 11th graders, but enrollment is capped at 28 students per camp. Lunch and a snack are included with each program, but transportation will not be provided. Deadline for signing up for the Men in Medicine and Girls Auto Know is Friday. The registration form the Mentoring a Girl in Construction doesn’t list a deadline, but states Sign Up Now! Registration forms are available in the system’s online May 7 newsletter at bibb.k12.ga.us. For more information, call MaryBeth Barnes at (478) 779-2526.

Compiled by Telegraph writers Caryn Grant and Andrea Castillo.