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Fairchild Challenge at Phipps: Environmental Justice Out Loud!
Thank you all your project submissions for Challenge 5: Environmental Justice Out Loud! Students were asked to explore an environmental justice issue that is important to them, and that affects their community. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), environmental justice is “the fair treatment, consideration and inclusion of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.”
Students were tasked with creating a call to action in the form of a written or spoken word piece, to bring attention to the chosen issue. Then we asked students to present their project in a creative way, such as in creating a song or an art piece to accompany their call to action. The delivery method was purposely open ended, so that students could present their call to action without creative limitations.
Project submissions to this challenge are under consideration for the Patti Burns Prize for Excellence in Communication and Media. Five middle schools, and five high schools each will receive $100 to be used in environmental education programming. Prizes are limited to one per school.
Middle School Winners:
Woodland Hills Dickson STEAM Academy: Environmental Injustices Everywhere by Mackenna Matthews
Freeport Area Middle School: Breaking News: Pesticides Becoming Out of Control by Sylvia Crytzer and Alexis Reesman
Keystone Oaks Middle School: Environmental Justice by Anthony Cerminara
Penn Middle School: Phipps Villanelle Poem by Caeley Simon
Trafford Middle School: The Effects of Pesticides by Ava Ruane 
High School:
Kiski Area High School: Environmental Justice Out Loud by Hannah Simpson
Penn Trafford High School: Environmental Racism Research Essay by Maura Coiner and Emily Lenart
Pittsburgh Westinghouse Academy: Asthma Poem by Nehemiah Green
South Fayette High School: Inequality in Pittsburgh: The Unfair Burden of Air Pollution by Sadie Mohnkern
North Allegheny Senior High: A Vision by Mirae Choe and Venice Lin
Congratulations to our winners of the Patti Burns Prize for Excellence in Communication and Media! Thank you to all of our students for their hard work and dedication with their projects, as well as to the families and teachers of these students for their continued support.
Have questions? Contact Emily Horner at ehorner@phipps.conservatory.org.
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.Congratulations to our winners of the Patti Burns Prize for Excellence in Communication and Media! Thank you to all of our students for their hard work and dedication with their projects, as well as to the families and teachers of these students for their continued support.
Cover Art: Environmental Justice by Katie Wigton
