More than 600 fifth graders from about 125 elementary schools in the Philadelphia area built houses either individually or worked in pairs. The students then brought their three-dimensional structures, which were a maximum platform size of two feet by three feet, to Drexel University's Daskalakis Athletic Center for judging on April 5.

Fineberg created a wilderness home with leaves used as floor coverings and handcrafted twig fencing. She also won the "Go Green" award, presented to a student whose submission exhibited environmentally friendly design and promoted green components.

Youngsters built their structures with wood, papier-mâché, recycled bottle caps and magazines, playing cards, CD cases, seashells, and other materials.

The volunteer judges were from architecture and engineering firms.

Five local students received honorable mention: Shannon Ellis of Blue Bell Elementary; Claudia Sessa, Courtney Schmidt and Zoe Long, each from Abington Friends School in Jenkintown; and Rachel Baker of Elkins Park School.

During a visit to Calvary Baptist Children's Learning Center in Norristown on April 17, Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman and two police officials called on the state legislature to increase funding to the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts initiative in the 2008-09 budget.

Norristown Police Lt. Mark Shannon and Upper Gwynedd Police Detective Ted Caiola also were at the learning center. They and Ferman hope that adding pre-kindergarten programs will help prevent crime.

Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts was created in the 2007-08 state budget to provide pre-kindergarten opportunities to 3- and 4-year-olds who are at risk of educational failure.

The $75 million initiative serves approximately 11,000 children in more than 50 Pennsylvania counties at 146 provider organizations. The state General Assembly is considering a $12.5 million increase to the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts initiative. That would allow the program to reach 1,000 more children statewide.

Ferman said that thousands of children in at-risk communities continue to be denied access to quality early childhood education programs because of inadequate funding.

Registration will begin Thursday for free summer science programs for Montgomery County students entering second through six grades.

Taught by certified teachers, GlaxoSmithKline's Science in the Summer program will take place at 31 public libraries in the county. Students will learn about genetics through hands-on experiments. Morning and afternoon sessions will be offered.

Second and third graders will be grouped together, as will fourth through sixth graders. Registration is required; parents are asked to register children at the library branch they wish to attend. Registration deadlines vary by location.

For more information, visit www.scienceinthesummer.com or call coordinator Bianca Roberts at 610-278-5100, Ext. 131.

The Quaker School at Horsham, which offers educational programs for students with special needs, will hold an open house at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Parents and prospective students can meet faculty, tour the school and learn more about the school's curriculum. In addition, starting at 1 p.m. families can meet with a panel of attorneys to discuss the legal issues facing parents of children with special needs.

Both programs are free, and registration is requested. To learn more and to register, call 215-674-2875. The Quaker School is at 250 Meetinghouse Rd.

Suyog Padgaonkar, an eighth grader at Penndale Middle School in Lansdale, placed third in the Pennsylvania Geographic Bee on April 4 at Shippensburg University.

About 100 students competed in the statewide bee. Padgaonkar qualified by winning Penndale's geography bee.

Joey Zou of Carson Middle School in Pittsburgh won the state bee, and Grant Kempski of Infinity Charter School in Harrisburg finished second. Robert Tang of Audubon Elementary School tied for fifth, and Matthew Pressman of Colonial Middle School in Plymouth Meeting tied for ninth place.

- Erica Lamberg