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Box seats at the Verizon Center sports arena in Washington, D.C, cash and a Dell laptop computer were among the awards doled out Wednesday night to youths assembled at the Country Club at Woodmore. Clad in suits — some for the first time — the young people assembled had two things in common: they had all gone through Prince George's County juvenile court, and they were all trying to get their lives back on track.

The recognition and awards they received were for showing marked improvement in academics and behavior since each first appeared in Prince George's County Circuit Court Judge Herman Dawson's courtroom.

Dawson, who organized the awards, wanted to imprint on the teenagers going through his courtroom that education is the key to bettering their lives.

"My goal is to stimulate the minds of students who have had some trouble with the law and show them they must do well in school, graduate high school and go on to college," Dawson said. "We must get them back on track while they are still young so that they are able to function as a valuable part of this community."

Since coming to juvenile court last year, Dawson said he has been looking for ways to reward the progress some of the youth were making. This is the first time he has offered the awards, but hopes to make the event an annual tradition.

New Carrollton resident Cornell Epps, 16, said he has a new attitude toward learning. Epps said he used to have a short attention span and fell asleep in class, but he is now motivated to be more alert and complete homework. As part of his probation for an armed-robbery charge, Epps is required to send Dawson weekly progress reports detailing how he is doing in his classes and verifying that he is spending two hours a night studying. The reports help keep him on target, he said.

The reports are required for all of those who Dawson monitors. For submitting the most progress reports since the start of the school year, Epps received a cash award of $150 and box seats for a Washington Wizards game at the Verizon Center. Dawson said prizes were either donated or he paid for them.

The 40 youth invited to attend the event had entered an essay contest held by Dawson and were required to write about the legacy of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. or the meaning of Black History Month. Prizes were also given for the best essays, best school attendance and most improved grade point average.

Probation officers and attorneys present at the ceremony said Dawson's "tough love" approach can go a long way with the youth he is able to reach.

"He's tough. He will lock you up in a heartbeat, but he's also the first person to give you an award," said Mary Blair-Cunningham, a probation officer for the county Department of Juvenile Services. "They have a fear of him, but it's a fear to do the right thing."

Private attorney Raouf Abdullah said there is a strong correlation between juveniles' grades and at-risk behavior.

"If children can focus on academics, it tends to help them not participate in the juvenile system," he said.

Beyond the essay contests, Dawson said he has other plans for the juveniles he is monitoring. He is working in partnership with Bowie State University to offer a college preparatory class for interested youth. Dawson said he wanted to offer additional resources so that youth who came through his court wanting to make changes in their lives would have the support and resources they needed. He hopes to get the courses started by the end of April.

Clinton resident Saivon Bridgeman, 15, said he is interested in attending the courses. Bridgeman was honored with the most improved GPA award Wednesday for bringing his GPA up to a 3.65 this year. He received tickets to a Washington Wizards game, $150, a laptop computer and dinner at an annual judges conference.

"I know with the daily progress reports, I can't get past anything," he said of his improvement in the classroom. "I make sure I do all my work and stay focused at school."

Bridgeman faced a vandalism charge after breaking into a school with some friends.

His parents said since his first court date and the ongoing monitoring by Dawson, they have seen their son take responsibility for his actions.

"I saw him take it more seriously," said his father, Michel Bridgeman. "It's like he's grown up a lot."