Blog
2021 - 2022 Fairchild Challenge Awards Announced!
Congratulations to all our 2021 - 2022 Fairchild Challenge participants! This year brought in many fantastic entries. Through this year’s challenges, you have built incredible iridescent sculptures from repurposed materials, wrote heartfelt love stories and made beautiful artwork of meaningful plants, created informative videos about youth climate action, designed imaginative nature-inspired inventions, explored food cultures and histories through art and video, and discovered ways to help the Earth through passion-driven action projects! You all displayed a wealth of curiosity, creativity, and dedication. You have inspired and motivated those in your homes, schools and communities by being change-makers for the environment. You once again completed these remarkable projects during a year of uncertainty and change. We are honored to have been a part of your journey this year. Keep up the great work!
To our students - our society may face many environmental challenges but seeing all your active young minds reassures us that we will find creative solutions to our world’s most pressing problems. You remind us that individuals can and will make a difference by committing to actions that better our world and by empowering others to do the same. You are building bridges with your ideas, enthusiasm and dedication to a more sustainable future. We wish you all a great summer, and we look forward to all of your future accomplishments!
And to our teachers— thank you for your hard work, willingness to take on extra responsibilities, and boundless dedication to your students. The Fairchild Challenge would not be possible without the devoted educators who implement these challenges and empower and inspire our young people. We especially want to thank you for being adaptable this year, as the Phipps Fairchild Challenge took place during a constantly changing school year that operated both virtually and in-person. Your ability to balance the challenges of teaching in this unusual time and encourage your students to deepen their understanding of the natural world around them are admirable! You are incredible!
Congratulations to our winners of this year's Fairchild Challenge:
Middle School
First Place: North Hills Middle School
Second Place: Penn Middle School
Third Place: Trafford Middle School
Runners-Up: Archangel Gabriel Catholic School and Freeport Area Middle School
High School
First Place: Shaler Area High School
Second Place: Penn-Trafford High School
Third Place: Central Catholic High School
Runner-Up: West Mifflin Area High School
Take a look at the accomplishments of the students this year:
Middle School Award Ceremony presentation
High School Award Ceremony presentation
Congratulations to all of the winners! We hope all of you will continue to explore the amazing positive impacts you can have on our planet!
Have questions? Contact Jennifer Torrance at jtorrance@phipps.conservatory.org or 412/622-6915, ext. 3230.
Developed by the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Miami, Fl., and adopted by Phipps as a satellite partner in 2008, The Fairchild Challenge offers a menu of interdisciplinary challenges for grades 6 – 8 and grades 9 – 12, attracting students of diverse interests, abilities, talents and backgrounds. The Challenge empowers young people to engage in civic life and encourages them to become energetic and knowledgeable members of their communities.
