Fairchild Challenge at Phipps: Challenge #4 Winners Announced!

By Alyssa Mulé, High School Programs Coordinator

Thank you to the many schools that submitted entries for Challenge #4 and C! We were truly blown away by the projects we received for these challenges - the students truly went above and beyond!

 

High School

High school and middle school students were challenged to research night-blooming plants and create mesmerizing artworks based on what they learned! While most of us are fast asleep, there's a secret symphony of life and beauty unfolding. Night-blooming plants, also known as nocturnal bloomers, are a rare and enchanting group of flora that have evolved unique strategies to thrive under the light of the moon. Students were asked to include information on how these botanical wonders have forged remarkable partnerships with their nocturnal pollinators. From moths and bats to specialized insects, night-blooming plants have developed an extraordinary array of adaptations to attract and secure their vital pollinators. We were extremely impressed at the talent showcased by all of the students' submissions! The high school winners and select high school artwork from this challenge will be on display in September in the Center for Sustainable Landscapes Gallery. 

 

And the High School winners are: 

First Place: Shaler Area High School; Elise Williams 

Datura wrightii

Second Place: North Allegheny Senior High School; Ellie Tang

Echinopsis subdenudata

Third Place: West Mifflin Area High School; Alana Fike

Saussurea obvallata

Special Merit: Woodland Hills High School; Carmella DeVore and Owen Reeder

Brugmansia arborea

Special Merit: North Allegheny Senior High School; Abby Schappert

Zaluzianskya ovata

Special Merit: Shaler Area High School; Grace Helbling

Mirabilis jalapa

 

Middle School 

 

And the Middle School winners are: 

First: Penn-Trafford Middle School; Seolri (Chloe) Yun

Nymphaea ‘Red Flare’ (Water Lily)

Second: Avonworth Middle School; Lillian Duvall

Selenicereus undatus

Third: Elizabeth Forward Middle School; Maureen Giunta, Angelia Donovan, Kaci Pancake

Nymphaea ‘Red Flare’ (Water Lily)

Special Merit: Carson Middle School; Trevor Weet

Lilium 'Casa Blanca' (Oriental Lily)

 

Elementary School Highlights! (Judges' Choice)

Elementary school students were challenged to creature their own "habitat handbooks". Here they embarked on an adventure that was all about unraveling the secrets of the animal kingdom and understanding the significance of what animals require to thrive in their unique habitats. They learned about what animals need to survive and became experts! In this challenge, students selected an animal from anywhere around the world and created a comprehensive "survival guide" booklet detailing the importance of their animal's physical features, its diet and how these preferences relate to its feeding habits and strategies in nature, its home, and lastly, how their animal contributes to the balance of its habitat and its role as predator or prey. We recieved some truly amazing work and could not be more impressed by your submissions! 

Mars Centennial School

Environmental Charter School

Wilkins Elementary STEAM Academy; Turtle Creek Elementary STEAM Academy; Edgewood Elementary STEAM Academy

 

Thank you to all of the students who submitted entries for this challenge, and thank you to the teachers who encouraged and supported them!

 

We would like to give a special shout out to our panelists: Jay-Ann Smith (Phipps' Science Education Administrative Assistant), Frank Muto (Phipps Volunteer), Hana Uman (Phipps Volunteer), and Shelley Gruss (Phipps Volunteer). Thank you for lending us your time and expertise!

 

Have questions? Contact Alyssa Mulé at amule@phipps.conservatory.org, 412/622-6915, ext. 3905.

 

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 K-5, 6-8 and 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.