Butler students who attend cybercharter and private schools have won recent science competitions.

Rick Ciora of Butler was one of a seven-member team of Commonwealth Connections Academy students to win first place at the statewide 2012-13 Pennsylvania Real World Design Challenge sponsored by Gov. Tom Corbett.

This is the third consecutive year the cybercharter school with offices in Seven Fields won the title. Ciora has been a member of each of the winning teams.

Using engineering software, the high school students designed an unmanned aerial vehicle and planned a mission to rescue a child lost in the Philmont Ranch in New Mexico.

“I really like how realistic the competition is,” Ciora said. “There are a lot of delays and problems you didn’t expect that come up along the way, and you have to find answers as you go along.”

Next, the team will compete against nearly 40 other state-level winners at the national competition in April in Washington, D.C.

Also, several Butler-area students who attend St. Joseph’s High School in Natrona Heights won first place at the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science Region 7 meeting in Natrona Heights in February. Region 7 covers Allegheny and Westmoreland counties.

Winners include seniors David and Jack Schnur, both of Butler, junior Rachel Schratz of Butler and freshman Holly Wolfe of Sarver.

Jack Schnur also received awards for Scientific Excellence from the Society of Women Engineers Pittsburgh Chapter, the Bayer HealthCare Award for Excellence in Medical Research and the Pennsylvania Science Talent Search regional award.

The students will attend a state competition at Penn State University, University Park campus, in May.