Fairchild Challenge

What is the Fairchild Challenge

The Fairchild Challenge is a multidisciplinary, environmental education program designed to give high school students an opportunity to express their opinions. By appealing to their innate sense of creativity and curiosity, the Fairchild Challenge invites students to investigate the most difficult environmental issues, devise imaginative and effective responses to the issues, and take action to address them. The Fairchild Challenge was designed and initiated by Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (Fairchild) in Coral Gables (Miami), Florida. Fairchild continues to support and train expansion sites for The Fairchild Challenge around the world.

How do I participate

+ Identify a Fairchild Challenge teacher or teacher liaison for your school
+ Complete and return a registration form to Thanksgiving Point available here>
+ Review the guidelines for the the Fairchild Challenge options
+ Provide opportunities for students throughout your school to compete
+ Submit your entries
+ Celebrate your accomplishments during The Fairchild Challenge Awards Ceremony
Why participate in The Fairchild Challenge?
+ Inspire students’ critical-thinking skills and civic engagement
+ Win prizes and recognition for both student and school achievement
+ Showcase your students’ abilities to local professionals, serving as Fairchild Challenge judges
+ Connect to a network of educational resources and hands-on learning opportunities

awards and prizes

+ All high schools that earn more than 700 points will receive the 2010 Fairchild Challenge Award at the awards ceremony held on Saturday, April 3, 2010
+ The top-scoring schools will be awarded $1,000 (1st), $500 (2nd), and $250 (3rd) to support environmental programs at their school
+ All actively participating students will receive a Fairchild Challenge T-shirt

Challenge Options

AT A GLANCE

CHALLENGE OPTIONS	ENTRY DUE DATE	EVENT DUE DATE	CATEGORY	MAX. ENTRIES PER SCHOOL	MAX. POINTS PER ENTRY	MAX POINTS PER SCHOOL
VISUAL ARTS	Nov 6		Individual	5	75	375
TSHIRT DESIGN	Dec 11		Individual	5	50	250
DEBATE	Dec 15	March 10	Individual	7	50	350
MUSIC	Feb 15	Mar 13	Group or Individual	5	100	500
FASHION DESIGN	Feb 15	Mar 13	Group or Individual	5	75	375
SIMPLE MACHINES	Feb 15	Mar 13	Group or Individual	3	50	100

VISUAL ARTS

Visual Arts
download entry Form/Rubric>

T-SHIRT DESIGN

download t-shirt design Entry Form/Rubric>

DEBATE

Debate Info

debate topics

* A resolution to provide subsidies to traditional small-scale (family) farms that utilize sustainable and organic practices.
* A bill to promote compensated reduction to help address climate change, (e.g., awarding tradable credits to countries that voluntarily reduce deforestation rates)
* A bill to extend tax credits for wind-generated energy
* A bill to reduce subsidies to the corn and wheat industries
* A bill to tax residents for water consumption above a published per capita baseline
* A resolution to promote the harvest of carp in Utah Lake

download debate Entry Form/Rubric>

resources

Questions please contact Jordan Johnson (801.766.5013) or Corinne Mayberry (801.768.4944)
You can also email challenge@thanksgivingpoint.ORG

Need help getting the teachers or students involved? We would love to come to a staff meeting, assembly, or
classroom to spread the word, answer questions, or help train faculty.

Download brochure>