Oct 6, 2009 6:47 pm US/Eastern
Fairchild Challenge Inspiring Kids To Go Green
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
Environmental education has never looked like so much fun! "The Fairchild Challenge" is a unique program offered at more than 100 schools across South Florida that encourages students to become advocates for the environment.
"It lets them take science and be creative, and I think that's the best thing you can do," said Pam Shlachtman, Department Chair for Science at Palmetto Senior High School. She has been with the Challenge since its inception 8 years ago.
"I think they start to realize as an individual, you really can make a difference," Shlachtman said. Students learn this through various contests throughout the school year. Teens prepare everything from essays to watercolor paintings, showcasing their new knowledge about the environment. Points are awarded for each contest and at the end of the year, the tallies are released and prizes handed out.
Phillip Weiner, a senior at Palmetto Senior High School, told me, "It's all science and art at the same time, so it's pretty fun." Phillip played his guitar for a contest last year.
Caroline Lewis, Director of Education at Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens says that it's all part of the plan to have the program appeal to all types of students.
"So we created a program that had something for the artist, the performer, the scientist and the researcher, the writer and the designer, so that everybody could find their little voice in nature," Lewis said.
It's a little voice that's inside every teen, like Mia Goodnature (perfect last name Mia!) Mia has been with the challenge for 2 years and tells me it's affected how she acts at school and at home.
"It just changed my whole perspective on life. At home, I'm like 'Mom! You should recycle that! Don't kill the environment,'" Mia said. She especially likes the Fairchild Challenge because it gets her out of the classroom.
"Last year we went on a boat, and we learned about the water and we saw coral reefs and it inspired me and I kind of think that I want to do something related to the environment and maybe I'll be some marine biologist, I don't know, it was just really cool," Goodnature said.
The best part about this really cool program is that it's free to any school that wants it; so all students can learn about the world around them and their role in protecting it.
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