Fairchild Challenge: Challenge Three Winners Announced!

By Sahar Arbab

Challenge #3 had two options, which to our delight resulted in a variety of entries to admire. Thank you to everyone that participated in Challenge 3A: Environmental Change and Challenge 3B: Spring Blooms of Western Pennsylvania!

Big thanks to the following judges: Molly McHolme (Grow Pittsburgh), Robin Menard (botanical artist), Melissa Fabian (botanical artist), Dr. Molly Mehling (Chatham University), Laura Ramie (Center for Creative Reuse), Ann Rosenthal (eco-artist), Lorren Kezmoh (Phipps Conservatory) and Jeanne Perrier (botanical artist). We appreciate you taking time for The Fairchild Challenge!

Challenge 3A

For Challenge #3A, we asked participants to research ways that environmental changes affect a plant species of their choice. Students were then tasked with documenting these changes through a comic strip. These comic strips were filled with emotion, clever beginnings, interesting endings and fun facts.

The judges were impressed with the entire selection, but found that the best entries were scientifically accurate, creatively displayed and engaging. We will be sending the winning entires and a few others to the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Miami, Florida for the Global Challenge.

And the winners are…

Middle School:

First: Aaniyah Garner, Woodland Hills Academy (entry pictured above)

Second: Mikey Veltri, Trinity Middle School

Third: Arya Pandit, Canonsburg Middle School

Special Merit: Jenna Miller, West Shamokin JSHS and

Taylor Pastore, North Strabane Intermediate

High School:

First: Serena Yan, North Allegheny Intermediate (entry pictured above)

Second: Sydney Sherman, A.W. Beattie Career Center

Third: Sebastian Immonen and Tess Christensen, North Allegheny Intermediate

Special Merit: Leo Lupidi, North Allegheny Senior High

Challenge 3B

We cannot wait to cover the walls in Phipps’ Welcome Center with some of the beautiful botanical artwork from The Fairchild Challenge. As usual, the Science Education staff were blown away by the level of creativity displayed in these works of art. The judges found that the best entries were creative, accurately drawn and a part of the western Pennsylvania spring bloom.

And the winners are…

Middle School:

First: Jillian Sullivan, Shaler Area Middle School

Second: Bailey Ritchey, Shaler Area Middle School

Third: Raquel Dinovitz, Keystone Oaks Middle School

Special Merit: Rose Lee, Dorseyville Middle School

High School:

First: Sophie Breedlove, Hampton High School

Second: Haley Ference, Ringgold High School

Third: Adrienne Abel, Shaler High School

Special Merit: Zain Mehdi, North Allegheny Senior High School and

Shayla Nguyen, Shaler High School

Congratulations to all of the winners! Have questions? Contact Sahar Arbab at sarbab@phipps.conservatory.org or 412-622-6915 x3905.

About the Fairchild Challenge: 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.

All photographs taken by Sahar Arbab.