Shaler Area High School and Middle School teams spent the entire 2014-15 school year competing in the Fairchild Challenge at Phipps and took top places.

The Shaler Area Middle School team placed first overall in the middle school category in the yearlong environmental challenge that consisted of five different challenges. Students receive scores for each challenge and the scores are totaled for the overall winners. The students competed against 46 area schools and a total of 3,700 students.

The middle school students also won first place in the final challenge of creating an Environmental Action Plan (which includes the largest number of points to earn). Students introduced hydroponics to the middle school and placed hydroponic systems throughout the school to educate students and staff on alternative methods of growing healthy plants for food and conserving water.

They also introduced a food sustainability awareness project. The students devised an apple collection system in the school's cafeteria to collect uneaten apples to be recycled into nutritious apple chip snacks and also donate the fruit to a local food bank.

The Middle School Students received $1,000 for their school as part of their first place award.

Shaler Area High School students also placed first in the final challenge of creating an Environmental Action Plan, in the High School category.

Students completed a series of projects in their school, home and community by taking part in a farm Community Supported Agriculture program and recycling K-cups for compost and seed-starter containers. Students also grew seedlings in the school greenhouse for the North Hills Community Outreach gardens and Garden of Etna, which provides fresh produce for food pantries.

The High School students completed against 64 area schools registered for the competition and placed 2^nd overall. They also won $500 to continue their green efforts in the school.