December  Due Dates  and Opportunities
Dear Teachers,

Temperatures are plummeting to the 70's, hurricane season has ended, and... everything else is basically the same. December in Florida must be here! Before we bid farewell to 2017, we have a handful of important Fairchild Challenge due dates, events, and announcements.

We are pleased to announce Fairchild's first-ever Lightning Talks and Garden Walk event on Thursday, December 14 from 7:00pm - 9:00pm for high school students. After Fairchild's graduate students give brief lightning talks about their research, they will answer any questions your students might have about college, graduate school, and pursuing a career in the sciences. After the included pizza dinner, grad students will lead a guided nighttime tour of the garden. Students can register for this workshop here.

Please remember that while Fairchild's 2018 Environmental Debate Tournament is on January 27, student teams must be chosen and registered by January 17. The tournament's topics can be viewed here. 

A save-the-date reminder - February 22 is our always-fabulous Educator Appreciation Event. More information will be coming soon but you don't want to miss out on the fun!

Finally, schools participating in Shade Our Schools: Flora & Fauna can start conducting point counts on December 21. We will be emailing links for data sheet access on Friday, December 15. 

As always, keep current by visiting our online Challenge booklet and do not hesitate to email with any questions.  VIEW THE FAIRCHILD CHALLENGE ONLINE BOOKLET NOW!

Wishing you a happy holidays and a fantastic new year,
The Fairchild Challenge Team
Due Dates
 
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13 by 6:00 PM - Challenge 2: Petals and Pollinators
We will have a Challenge drop-off point set up on December 13 at the Phillips Gate near the employee entrance in the south parking lot from 3:00pm - 6:00pm. For more information on this Challenge, click here. 

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13 by 5:00 PM - Challenge 7: The Million Orchid Project
To help inform future outplantings, students will plant native orchids in different locations around their school and track growth, survivorship, and flowering periods. Click here for more information.
  • Schools must submit a Memorandum of Understanding by Wednesday, December 13,  if they plan to participate in this challenge.
  • Teachers must attend a mandatory professional development workshop to receive protocols, data sheet access, and materials on Jan. 13, 2018. Register here.
Additional Opportunities & Resources


 Bank of America's Student Leaders program is offering a paid internship and trip to Washington D.C. for qualified high school juniors and seniors. The 2018 application is available here.

 

The 2018 City Nature Challenge is taking place between April 27-April 30. This is an exciting way to explore Miami's biodiversity through the use of the iNaturalist app. Check out result's from 2017's event here . More information on how to register will be coming soon. 

 

 OFFICIALLY REGISTER YOUR SCHOOL FOR THE 2017-2018 FAIRCHILD CHALLENGE - HOW TO REGISTER
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