Growing Beyond Earth®  Virtual Teacher Workshops

Teachers are required to attend one virtual workshop (see dates below) in order to participate in this program. 
Scientists from NASA will conduct this workshop to introduce their research and the problems they try to solve for future space missions. The classrooms will be used as space-lab extensions and students will contribute to an important step into the future. Teachers will learn the Trial 1 research protocols; discuss ideas for suitable experiments and the requested data to select. Teachers will also pick up the necessary materials to take back to their schools. 

Million Orchid Project Required Teacher Workshop: Saturday, September 19, 2026 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm at Fairchild
Join the Million Orchid Project team to learn about this year’s experiment investigating South Florida’s changing plant hardiness zone. Explore how schools will compare the growth of native orchids to that of Caribbean orchids that may be moving northward due to the warming climate. Then review research protocols and pick up the necessary materials to take back to your school. 

Environmental Endangered Lands Teacher Workshop: Saturday, October 24, 2026 at Fairchild

Fairchild is partnering up with Miami-Dade County’s Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) Program again this year to provide an opportunity for you to level up your conservation knowledge discover South Florida’s rare ecosystems found right in our own backyard. This teacher workshop on 10/24/2026 will be led by Fairchild Conservation team members who will lead an exploration into the protection and restoration of local habitats. By participating, you and your students additionally can go on a FREE field trip to an Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) Preserve (with financial support for a bus) to get hands-on with invasive species removal and native plantings.

Submit your interest via this link: https://forms.gle/peGktRkuFq2m9cBk6 

General Teacher Professional Development Courses
Fairchild offers additional professional development workshops for PreK-12 grade teachers that can support and enhance your participation in The Fairchild Challenge. Workshops focus on botany, ecology, South Florida’s natural environment and more. You may also visit Fairchild’s website to view and use our downloadable teaching modules, including resources and curricula. M-DCPS teachers can register for this workshop through Frontline Education/My Learning Plan online portal. For more information please contact challenge@fairchildgarden.org.

For more information on the schedule and how to register, click here.