1. The Fairchild Challenge takes place over the course of the academic year and offers an annual menu of activities (called Challenges) for individual students and groups. Schools can participate in any number of the annual Challenges. Best entries selected by the schools and submitted to Fairchild are evaluated by panels of independent judges and awarded points based on the judges’ scores. Mindful of teachers’ workloads, The Fairchild Challenge dovetails with public school curricula and is aligned with the state and national academic standards. Fairchild is committed to making this program accessible to all interested students in the region, regardless of their schools’ resources. The Fairchild Challenge encourages school participation with incentives such as grants for school gardens, transportation subsidies, seeds or plants, specialized workshops, professional development, and additional resources. Schools requiring additional assistance can contact The Fairchild Challenge staff for assistance or request a visit to your school to explain the program in detail.

Your goal is to collaborate, explore, and have FUN while earning points for your school to receive The 2024–2025 Fairchild Challenge Award. Our Awards Ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 17 at Fairchild. Schools receiving The Fairchild Challenge Award for five or ten consecutive years become a Fairchild Challenge School of Excellence and receive a banner to hang proudly at their school. Additionally, the top-scoring schools will be awarded cash prizes of up to $1,500 to support environmental programs at their school.

Our goal is to offer students a clear educational pathway that encourages environmental stewardship, develops leadership in environmental science and diversifies the scientific workforce.

Step 1: Teacher Registration: 

1. All individual teachers must fill out a Teacher Registration Form.
2. Teachers are required to register every year. 
3. Registration for The Fairchild Challenge can be done at any time during the academic year. 
4. Participation is free for all schools in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Monroe Counties. 

Step 2: Attend the optional Teachers’ Information Launch Workshop to learn more about the 2024–2025 Challenges — RSVP here!

• Middle and High School Launch – August 24, 2024

• Elementary School Launch – September 7, 2024

Some entries may need to be physically submitted while others can be uploaded to the Fairchild Challenge portal.

1. Step 1: Visit the Fairchild Challenge portal
2. Step 2: Click the Submit an Entry button.
3. Note: every entry must be individually submitted
4. Note: every entry (both physically and digitally submitted) must have an accompanying submission in the Fairchild Challenge portal in order to be considered.