Fairchild Challenge at Phipps: Challenge #3 Winners Announced!

By Emily Johns, High School Program Coordinator

Thank you to all the schools that submitted entries for Challenge #3 in the Phipps Fairchild Challenge!

Middle school students were “Wild About Geometry” in their challenge that asked them to take a deeper look at the world around them.  Students had to select a pattern from nature, research it and create an artistic rendering of it.  From pineapples and honeycomb, to snakes and even frost, students found amazing repetitions! 

High school students got to test their entrepreneurial skills in their challenge “Green Grub on the Go.”  Students designed their own sustainable food truck, cart or stand.  Their design had to consider all three pillars of sustainability, social, economic, and environmental.  Entries in this challenge purveyed a variety of delicious eats, from potatoes and zoodles to smoothies and even hot dogs!  Students did a great job creating their menus, budgets, and unique truck designs.     

And the winners are:

Middle School

First: Woodland Hills Intermediate, Ella DeVore

Second: Freeport Area Middle School, Lorelei, Buterbaugh, Megan Grolemund, Luke Hassler and Sarah Reyer

Third (tie): Trinity Middle School, Ava Campman

Third (tie): Trinity Middle School, Sienna Heasley

Special Merit: Woodland Hills Intermediate, Mackenna Matthews

Special Merit: Carson Middle School, Joseph Widjaja

High School

First: Westinghouse Arts Academy Charter School, Gemma DeMeo, Caden Ferita, Isaac Hess, Benjamin Hommel and Jillian Lenosky

Second: Norwin High School, Hannah Jackson, Radene Jackson and Leia Farroux

Third: Shaler Area High School, Hannah Coleman, Jamie Eichmiller, Caitlin Fedorek, Olivia Jarzynka, Alyssa Juzwick, Rebecca Schiavone, Anna Sheets and Aliza Zelina

Special Merit for research: West Mifflin Area High School, Rebecca Tomko

Special Merit for design: North Allegheny Intermediate High School, Mirae Choe, Venice Lin, Karis Lu, Karen Shamir and Hannah Shin

We would like to give a special shout out to our panelists: Maris Altieri (Phipps Let’s Move Pittsburgh Program Coordinator), Phyllis Cain (Phipps Volunteer), Ashley Cecil (Visual Artist), Emily Chierici (Phipps Research & Science Education Administrative Assistant), Sarah Cullo (Phipps Let’s Move Pittsburgh Program Coordinator), Dana Derenne (Nutrition & Dietetics, University of Pittsburgh) and Carla Richards (Environmental Communications, Chatham University).  Thank you for lending us your expertise!

Have questions? Contact Emily Johns at ejohns@phipps.conservatory.org or 412/622-6915, ext. 6936.

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 6 – 8 and grades 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.

Photographs taken by Phipps’ Science Education and Research staff.