Polk County Public Schools
Lakeland’s Lawton Chiles Middle Academy was one of 16 schools in the country that competed in the U.S. Army’s eCYBERMISSION National Judging and Educational Event held in Washington, D.C. over the summer. eCYBERMISSION is a Web-based competition in math, science and technology for sixth through ninth graders.
Lawton Chiles represented the Southeast region of the country in the eighth grade competition. Lawton Chiles earned the right to compete at nationals by winning the Southeast region among 313 schools that competed including 20 from Florida.
At nationals, Lawton Chiles competed against three schools representing the Northeast, Northwest and Southwest sections of the U.S. A school from Texas representing the Southwest region won the eighth grade national championship.
Amanda Haas, Addy Warren and Tom Zhang, eighth-graders at Lawton Chiles in 2008-2009, competed at the national event in Washington, D.C. and each received $6,500 savings bonds for winning the Southeast region and qualifying for nationals. Their six day visit to Washington for the competition was paid by eCYBERMISSION sponsors.
Lawton Chiles teacher Debbie Viertel was the team’s advisor.
Derek Woods, currently a senior at Fort Meade Senior, was one of 1,500 students nationally chosen to participate in the Electric Cooperative Association’s Youth Tour held for a week in Washington, D.C. over the summer. The Electric Cooperative Youth Tour is a combined effort of national electric co-ops and Derek was one of four students from the Peace River Electric Cooperative’s service territory selected to participate.
Derek received a $500 scholarship in addition to receiving an all-expense-paid visit to Washington, D.C.
Youth Tour participants met with Capitol Hill legislators and visited landmarks that included the White House, the National Cathedral, the Washington Memorial, the Holocaust Museum and numerous war memorials.
He was chosen for the Youth Tour on the basis on an essay he submitted and upon the recommendation of Fort Meade Senior faculty.
