Elementary School - Challenge 4: Vertical Garden - Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

GRADES Pre-K to 5 | 2025-2026

Challenge 4: School Garden – Edible Gardens

YOUR CHALLENGE:

Did you know that every time you talk, exercise or play with friends, your body is being powered by plants? To explore this link, create an edible garden with a specific theme and tend it throughout this school year. You could grow basil, tomatoes, and peppers for a pizza-themed garden or maybe your garden could grow edible plants from a specific place in the world. Whatever you choose, give your garden purpose and plant with intention. Then, create a garden book introducing your garden and explaining what makes the garden unique. Include a recipe that features a plant or plants that you grew in your garden as well as a reflection of how plants connect us to nature.

✓ Submission Requirements:
	Optional Garden Mini-Grant Proposal and Budget template outlining how you plan to garden **We are not accepting any more mini-grant proposals at this time. Typed proposal should be a maximum of 250 words long and include in the same document the budget. Budget should be less than $100.00 Budget should include: Item names Number of how much of each item is needed Approximate cost of each item Where the item will probably be purchased Overall total cost
	Optional Teacher Workshop on October 25, 2025 at Fairchild
	Garden book with with a maximum of 15 pages including this information: recipe, steps on how to tend your edible garden and what makes it unique, and reflections on how plants connect people to nature.
	Physically submit garden books delivered in person or mailed to Fairchild Challenge via certified mail to 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, Florida 33156, ATTN: Education Department. Hand deliver garden books ANY day of the week 10a-5p at the Visitor Center.
	Digital Entry Form. School and student information only Electronic uploads of garden books will not be reviewed.
	One submission per school.

CHALLENGE RESOURCES:

- Optional In-person Teacher Workshop – October 25, 2025
- Optional Garden $100 Mini-Grant Proposal and Budget template
- How to garden in containers
- More container garden ideas
- Dream in Green’s GSC Activity (PreK-1st Grade, Green Living (Buildings & Careers): Grow Your Own Garden!)
- Dream in Green’s GSC Activity (4th-5th Grade, Food Security: Sprout to Table)
- List of other Garden Grants
- Garden Workshop PowerPoint

Important Dates

Optional In-person Teacher Workshop at Fairchild:
Saturday, October 25, 2025

Optional Proposal and Budget for $100 School Garden Mini-Grant Due:
Friday, October 31, 2025 by 5:00pm

Submissions Due:
Friday, April 3, 2026 by 5:00pm

Point Breakdown
Participants per submission	Large Groups
Maximum number of points per submission	200
Number of submissions per school	1

Evaluation Criteria
Rubric for ES Challenge 4

Fairchild City in a Garden Standards

Food Production

Heritage Preservation