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About 25 students submitted contest entries, said Linda Collins, transitional housing director for Community Ministry. The winning posters showed a clear understanding of secondhand smoke.

‘‘Some students’ posters highlighted the importance of quitting smoking but not secondhand smoke,” she said.

Briara Battle and Tiaira Foy worked together on the winning poster. Kitana Rush and Breanna McGee each took second place. Chrishaun Coard placed third. Each winner received a cash prize and a gift card from Staples. Omar Brown and Dónte Hill received honorable mentions. The rest of the students who participated in the contest received certificates of participation.

The students also received treats donated by Bethel Lutheran Church in Forestville as well as T-shirts bearing the motto ‘‘Community Ministry of Prince George’s County Kicks Butt.”

The students also received pledge forms to give to their parents and neighbors. The forms encourage adults to make a commitment to protect children from secondhand smoke.

‘‘No secondhand smoke is good smoke,” Collins said. ‘‘Help your parents, friends and neighbors pledge to live in a smoke-free house and drive in a smoke-free car.”

Community Ministry received a grant to promote smoking awareness and cessation in partnership with the county health department. County program developer Venita Colbert, who also attended the event at Bradbury, said the goal of the awareness campaign is to spread the word about the harmful effects of secondhand smoke and encourage young people not to start smoking.

‘‘Smoking usually begins in high school but we’re seeing it in younger children, even 11- to 13-year-olds,” Colbert said.

Youngsters typically begin smoking because of peer pressure or the desire to fit in with their friends, she said.

‘‘Kids know smoking stinks, but after a while smoking becomes exciting,” she said. ‘‘After a while they might be coerced or fall victim to peer pressure.”

Parents can help their children avoid the initial use of tobacco by not allowing people to smoke in their homes, not purchasing tobacco products and talking to their kids about the dangers of smoking.

‘‘Education is key,” said Colbert, noting that cigarettes often lead to the use of marijuana and other drugs. ‘‘The sooner the education begins, the harder it is to begin smoking.”

A few students seemed to learn something new about secondhand smoke as a result of the contest. Recalling the statistics displayed on his own poster, Brown pointed out that secondhand smoke kills thousands of Americans each year.

‘‘I learned that secondhand smoke is harmful to babies,” Battle said.

Other students said they hadn’t known about secondhand smoke at all before the awareness campaign began.

Community Ministry, which has adopted Bradbury, has been working with the school since the end of 2006, when staff members donated toys to the school. Staff members introduced the campaign against secondhand smoke in February by bringing books and pamphlets to the school and discussing the topic with students.

‘‘Out of 60 sixth-graders, more than half of them have a smoker in their homes,” Collins said.

Eventually, staff members hope to offer activities for all grades, including mentorship programs.

‘‘By offering programs to the kids, we hope to get more parents involved in the school,” Collins said.

Community Ministry of Prince George’s County

How it makes a difference: This nonprofit, which provides numerous services for homeless and low-income residents, has launched a smoking cessation program. For information, call 301-499-2319 or go to www.cmpgc.org.