fairchildchallengeatphipps

We couldn’t live without plants. Literally.   The next challenge (due February 10) invites you to contemplate the important role that plants play in our lives and turn that into a visual design.  If your entry is chosen by the judges, we’ll print it on drawstring backpacks to be given out to the hundreds of students participating in the Fairchild Challenge at Phipps.  For complete details, see “HS Challenges in Depth, Challenge #4.”

P.S. – Top 3 winners will be on-air guests on the Saturday Light Brigade radio show, February 25th.

Be your own version of “24.”*  That means going 24 hours without social media, texting, MP3 players, video games…  Be the star of your own show  – “you, unplugged” –  and live to tell your story!  The “You Minus Technology” essays (and brief journals) are due by Friday, January 27.  Please see “MS Challenges in Depth, Challenge #3″  for complete details.  Be brave-take the challenge-and good luck!

*The ginormous hit TV show starring Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer.

Such beauty! Such creativity!  Even at this dark time of the year, participating Middle School students  were able to create Olympian wreaths out of local plant materials. And the stories behind them were as wonderful as the creations, themselves.  Congratulations!  You’re all champions!  And here are the top three which will be sent on to London to compete in this Global Challenge:

Woodland Hills

Honorable Mention: Gateway Middle School,  Kate Heasley and Sydney Stevens

 Challenge #3 – the challenge of all Challenges- has been completed.   And you would not believe the profunidty, the wisdom and the hilarity of the entries.   Going without technology for 24 hours was a really worthwhile experience for everyone who dared to do it and the judges were impressed with the quality of the entries.  And the winners are:

 First Place: Allison Murphy, Moon Area H.S.

Second Place:  Hannah Boyd, South Park High School

 Tie for Honorable Mention: Savanna Starko, Moon Area H.S.

                                      Sarah Bangley, South Side High School

They’ve all been invited to appear on the Saturday Light Brigade radio program on Saturday, January 7 at 10:35 a.m. Tune in to 88.3 FM WRCT or online at www.slbradio.org.

Congratulations to all the high schools who participated in the Photojournalism Challenge.  The artistry was there, the environmental issues were addressed and stories were told through powerful and original photo essays.

South Side sign

The first middle school challenge showed great creativity, talent and hard work!  Every school approached the task differently and each had excellent results. Congratulations to each and every participant!   The judges have now convened and here are the results:

First Place: South Side Middle School

Second Place: David E. Williams Middle School

Honorable Mention: Pittsburgh Gifted Center

The Fairchild Challenge #1 performances were all wonderful- informative, charming, persuasive.  The judges struggled with having to decide among them, but since this is a competition, here’s how it panned it:

First Place: Moon Area H.S.  for “Mr. Health-o and the Veggie Factory”

Second Place: North Allegheny Sr. H.S. for “Junk: The Musical”

Honorable Mention: Perry H.S. for “Healthy Eating, Healthy Planet Remix”

Congratulations to all participating students.  We hope you’ll have a chance at some point  to perform your pieces for children  - they’ll love them!

Here at Phipps Conservatory, we are thrilled and delighted to announce a collaboration between the Fairchild Challenge and the Saturday Light Brigade.  On the air since 1978,  The Saturday Light Brigade is a Saturday morning public radio program that blends acoustic music with  live performances by youth and adults, participatory puzzles, on-air telephone calls, and interviews with other community-based nonprofits serving youth and families.

In regards to the Fairchild Challenge at Phipps, here’s the scoop:  after each challenge is judged, SLB  host, Larry Berger will interview the  top placing winners of that challenge  live on the air during the “Youth Expression Showcase” segment of the show.  Throughout the school year, the young winners will have a chance to discuss their achievements and the environmental issues that they have been exploring through the Fairchild Challenge.  It’s a phenomenal opportunity for your students’ voices to be heard, literally, around the region and beyond.

Top winners  of  High School Challenge #4, “Backpack Design: The important role plants play in our lives,” will appear live on the Saturday Light Brigade on Saturday, February 25 (at 10:05 a.m.) .   Tune in at 88.3 fm WRCT or http://www.slbradio.org.

We certainly hope you had a peaceful, enjoyable and rejuvenating summer.  Now – back to the excitement and energy of school – and we expect  this year’s Fairchild Challenge competitive “challenges” will excite and energize your students. 

This blog is devoted to providing you with all the information your school needs to participate in this environmental education program and competition .  Here, you’ll find a registration form along with   requirements for individual challenges, general program policies and updated reminders.

By the way, this year marks our first venture into the Middle Schools.  Welcome aboard! High School and Middle School programs are two distinct competitions, so in the sidebar, you’ll see one category “For Middle Schools” and another “For High Schools.”  Just go to the appropriate heading to get the challenge details you want.

  If you have any questions or would like to make any suggestions, please feel free to call  (me) Phipps High School Program Coordinator, Kate Borger at 412 441-4442, ext. 3905 or e-mail us at fairchildchallenge@phipps.conservatory.org.