Shop
Become a Member
Get Tickets
My Account

GRADES 6 to 8 | 2026-2027

Educator Challenge: Innovative School Design

YOUR CHALLENGE:

What if your school’s most unused spaces could become its most inspiring ones? Every school has spaces that go unnoticed, like empty stairways, bare walls, forgotten corners of a classroom, unused balconies, or barren patches of dirt by the playground. How could adding plants help improve the quality of education and life in these areas?


Think about an unused indoor or outdoor space at your school that could benefit from adding greenery. Using plant-powered innovation and novel ideas, reimagine it into a plant-filled space that can somehow be integrated into school life or classroom lessons. Put together a transformation plan outlined in a 6-8 slide pitch presentation that shares why you picked that location, what materials and approvals need to be obtained and from whom, and how this benefits your school and students. Include a drawn or digital visual of how plants are creatively integrated into the space. You are not required to implement your plan, but if you do, we would love to see photos.

Download information as one page with lesson plan – Coming Soon!

✓  Submission Requirements:
 6-8 slide digital presentation outlining a pitch to renovate an under or unused space at your school using innovative green design in your school
 

Plan should include:

  • Why you picked that location
  • What materials and approvals need to be obtained and from whom or where
  • How this benefits your school and students
  • Identification of plant species used in your design
  • A title slide with your name, your school’s name, the grade band in which you teach (elementary, middle, or high school), and text saying, “Educator Challenge: Innovative School Design” and “2026-2027”
  •  
 AI use is permitted in the Fairchild Challenge, but full disclosure of how it is used and what prompts were used is required. If AI use is detected without disclosure, the entry will be disqualified. Note: The Fairchild Challenge still strongly encourages original non-AI based designs and written work. Please be mindful that there is an environmental cost each time AI is used! 
 Digital Entry Form with plant-powered transformation plan attached as a PowerPoint, PDF, or a link to a Google Slides presentation or Canva document
 On-time submission. Late submissions will be accepted with a reduction in points.
 One submission max from a middle school teacher per school.

CHALLENGE RESOURCES:

  •  
Enter a Submission

Important Dates

Submissions Due: 
Friday, January 22, 2027 by 5:00pm

Point Breakdown
Participants per submissionIndividual Teacher or Small Group of up to 5 Teachers
Maximum points per submission50
Number of submissions from a middle school teacher per school1

Evaluation Criteria
Rubric for Educator Challenge – COMING SOON!

Fairchild City in a Garden Standards

Aesthetic and Iconic Design

Cultural Enrichment

Ecological Integration

Public Accessibility and Engagement

FOLLOW THE LATEST @fairchildgarden