Fairchild Challenge at Phipps: Challenge #1 Winners Announced!

By Alyssa Mulé, High School Programs Coordinator

Thank you to the many schools that submitted entries for Challenge #1!  This first challenge of the 2025-2026 school year was titled “Phipps' Fairchild Climate Tails". 

Elementary, middle and high school students displayed skills in writing, creativing, and most of all, resourcefulness in their submissions. Challenge 1 asked students to create three to ten ornament sculptures of either pets, farm animals, or wild animals in PA, and write about how our furry friends are also impacted by a changing climate. Each sculpture and essay submitted carefully represented the animals we care about and depend on, allowing participants to use their art and writing to educate others and inspire action—whether it’s conserving water, planting trees for shade or learning how to keep animals safe during unexpected weather events. This year, our judges came together to not just score the work students created, but admire the incredible dedication, thoughtful messaging, and obvious passion displayed within each ornament. As always, the judges were deeply moved by students' creations and amazed by their design! Select sculptures from this challenge will be exhibited during our Winter Flower Show in the Gallery Room.

And the winners are:

High School:

First: Shaler Area High School: Grace Helbling, Nick Mulkerin, Elise Williams, Andrew Purucker, Kai Ruefle, Grace Grabowski, Anny Maher, Aubrielle Costic, Emma Golightly, Alexia Walters, Abi Lemmon, Zoey Lemmon, Zoey Hill, Mylee Ruben

First: Woodland Hills High School: Noah Baverso, Lydia Brown, Annabel Johnson, Beckett Ciocco, Zoey Bostard, Charlotte Kovach, Cameron Peretti

Second: Gateway High School: Piper Munyon, Sarima Andah Wai-Ogosu

Third: North Allegheny High School: Samantha Schroeppel, Kate Azar, Paula Kamenarova, Chloe Connor, Aradhya Sircar, Kyle Solomon, Graham Kunz, Katie Nodd, Ethan Cheng, Aniketh Narra, Sai Gunapalli, Gael Martinez Vichique, Nitin Aravindan, Kristina Doan, Nandini Jariwala, Rucheta Mahapatra, Summer Ji, Julia Tengowski, Madelaine Mansfield

Special Merit: Penn-Trafford High School: Cienna Oien, Amy Maust, Caitlin Dolhi, Riley Joyce, Ezza Lapcivic, Madi Gavrish, Elena Southern

*for consturction and attention to detail

Middle School

First: Fort Couch Middle School: Sarah Staud, Gwyneth Mastro, Kiera Mycoff, Mateo Lin, Rebecca Zahalsky, Cara Howard, Renee Clougherty, Sara Alhajhusain, Kenzie Petrick, Brayden Wong

Second: Ingomar Middle School: Sadie Campbell

Third: Avonworth Middle School: Sam Bacon, Clark Laird, Reagan Klicker, Cooper Gallagher, Lily Mason, Lydia Klein, Daniel O'Neil, Gabe Van Mater, Kellen Donovan, Logan Saxon, Ezra Oliphant, Havana Brosius, Mae Waters

Special Merit: Marshall Middle School: Will O'Rorke, Caroline Neumann, Meghan Ghosh

Elementary School Highlights!

Environmental Charter School (Intermediate)

Wilkins Elementary, Turtle Creek Elementary, and Edgewood Elementary STEAM Academy

Ionta & Artman Elementary School

Every year, we are amazed and overwhelmed by the number of entries for this challenge! Congratulations to the following schools for having one or more of your ornaments chosen to be displayed in the Winter Flower Show: Acmetonia Middle School, Archangel Gabriel Catholic School, Avonworth Middle School, Blessed Trinity Academy (Middle), Boyce Middle School, Carson Middle School, Delahunty Middle School, Dickson STEAM Academy, Environmental Charter Middle School, Fort Cherry Jr. and Sr. High School, Freeport Area Middle School, Ingomar Middle School, Marshall Middle School, North Hills Middle School, Swickley Academy, Wendover Middle School, Fort Couch Middle School, Mars Area Middle School, Founders' Hall Middle School, Gateway High School, Central Catholic High School, Mars Area High School, North Allegheny High School (email), Penn-Trafford High School, Shaler Area High School, West Mifflin Area High School, Woodland Hills High School, Norwin High School, Elementary Schools, Avonworth Primary Center, Central, William Penn, and Mount Vernon Elementary Schools, East Untion Intermediate Center, Edgewood Elementary, Gateway Elementary, Intermediate Environmental Charter School, Ionta Elementary School and Artman Elementary, Mars Area Centennial School, Mars Area Elementary, Oakview Elementary School, Primary Environmental Charter School, Turtle Creek Elementary STEAM Academy, Wilkins Elementary STEAM Academy, Acmetonia Elementary (AVSD) St. Abrose Academy

 

We would like to give a special shout out to panelists: Mark Miller (Pittsburgh Botanic Garden), Mary Schrag (Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation, Pitt), Ruth Bence (Phipps Volunteer), and Jay-Ann Smith (Phipps Facilities and Development Administrator) Thank you for lending us your time and expertise!

 

Have questions? Contact Alyssa Mulé at amule@phipps.conservatory.org, 412/622-6915, ext. 3905.

 

Developed by the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Miami, Fl., and adopted by Phipps as a satellite partner in 2008, The Fairchild Challenge offers a menu of interdisciplinary challenges for grades K-5, 6-8 and 9-12, attracting students of diverse interests, abilities, talents and backgrounds. The Challenge empowers young people to engage in civic life and encourages them to become energetic and knowledgeable members of their communities.