Growing Beyond Earth® Teacher Workshops – Required to attend one workshop (see below) in order to participate
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. 

Virtual Native Plant School Garden: Optional Teacher Workshop – September 17, 2025 from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm
Meet with experts that run the Native Plant Network, a local initiative to outplant native species in urban South Florida. Learn how to maintain and tend a native plant garden, with the native species of plants that you will receive for your Challenge garden spotlighted. 

Million Orchid Project: Required Teacher Workshop – Saturday, September 27, 2025 from 9:30 am to 11:30 am
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. 

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.