Elementary School - Challenges at a Glance - Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

GRADES Pre-K to 5 | 2025-2026

Challenges at a Glance

Challenges	Submissions Due to Fairchild by 5:00 pm	Maximum Points	Maximum Number of Submissions
Educator Challenge: Seeding the Future	Friday, January 16, 2026	50 points	1 submission from an elementary school teacher
1. Miami, My Garden – Garden on the Go A. Drawing B. Drawing and Description C. Drawing and Description	Friday, October 17, 2025	1A: 150 (75/submission) 1B: 150 (75/submission) 1C: 150 (75/submission)	1A: 2 submissions 1B: 2 submissions 1C: 2 submissions
2. Shade our Schools – My School’s Cool	Friday, December 5, 2025	200	1 field journal
3. Building Blooms A. Drawing and 5 Senses Description B. Drawing and Description C. 3D model and Description	Friday, February 20, 2026	3A: 150 (75/submission) 3B: 150 (75/submission) 3C: 150 (75/submission)	3A: 2 submissions 3B: 2 submissions 3C: 2 submissions
4. School Garden – Edible Gardens *OPTIONAL Teacher Workshop: Saturday, October 25, 2025	Proposal and Budget Due: Friday, October 31, 2025 _________________ Garden Book Due: Friday, April 3, 2026	200	1 garden book

AWARDS and PRIZES

The Fairchild Challenge Awards Ceremony is Saturday, May 16, 2026. At this time, the following awards and prizes will be distributed:

Each elementary school that earns more than 1000 points will receive The Fairchild Challenge Award.
Each school that receives The Fairchild Challenge Award for five consecutive years will become a Fairchild Challenge School of Excellence.
The top-scoring schools will receive cash prizes, up to $2,500, to support their environmental programs.
Top-placing students will receive Fairchild Challenge medals and/or certificates. Special Merit winners will also be recognized.
All participating schools receive a limited quantity of four-person family passes to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden to distribute to actively participating students and teachers.