Fairchild Challenge at Phipps: Super[hero] Foods!

By Emily Horner, Science Education Facilitator

Thank you to all of the schools who submitted entries the recent Fairchild Challenge, Visual Art and Design: Super[hero] Foods! This challenge was completed by both elementary and middle school students, who were tasked with creating a comic strip featuring nutrient dense foods as superhero characters!  Many fruits, vegetables and other foods provide high amounts of vitamins and nutrients for our bodies, allowing us to grow healthy and strong. Students were tasked with researching a specific food and transforming it into a superhero character, basing its superpower on how these foods help our bodies.  Middle school students also considered the sustainability of the foods they chose.  Thank you to all the students, teachers and families who put great effort and creativity into creating clever and vibrant comics for this challenge!

We are excited to announce that this was the first Fairchild Challenge project for elementary school students! To commemorate this occasion, we've featured an entry from each of the elementary schools that completed this challenge.

Enjoy a selection of student works below:

Elementary School

Acmetonia Elementary School: Super Carrot by Emma Rocchini

Borland Manor Elementary School: The Adventures of Batcarrot! by Alex Manciu

Burgettstown Area Elementary Center: Carrot Vs. Cupcake by Griffin Miller

Environmental Charter School: Super Avocado! by Kennedy Brooks

Edgewood Elementary STEAM Academy: The Golden Banana Vs. The Charlie Horse by Samuel Peretti

North Strabane Intermediate School: The Tale of Wonder Watermelon by Henry Manciu

South Central Elementary School: Wonderful Watermelon by Owen Smith

Turtle Creek Elementary STEAM Academy: Power Potato and Flu by Aila Langston

Wilkins Elementary STEAM Elementary: Captain Carrot by Tiara Lewis

Middle School

Avonworth Middle School: The Humble Avocado by Emma Noss

Burgettstown Middle School: Captain Nut by Thomas McConnell

Dorseyville Middle School: Broccoli Bro! by Zachary Chan

Have questions? Contact Emily Johns at ejohns@phipps.conservatory.org or 412/622-6915, ext. 6936.

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 2 – 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.

Cover Art: Excerpt from Captain Lemon Saves the Day! by Charlotte Kovach, Turtle Creek Elementary STEAM Academy

Header Art: Excerpt from The Dark Bite by Hannah Windows, Leah Kapp and Kylie McConahy, Freeport Area Middle School