By Your Powers Combined!” Green Heart STEM Challenge (GHSC) Teams Up with Planeteer Alliance for New Participant Experience

This year marked the Green Heart STEM Challenge’s (GHSC) largest cohort yet with nearly 5,000 youth joining the 2026 EARTH Challenge to develop community based solutions around forests, soils, and food systems.

Students from school districts within the Metro-Atlanta, Metro-Houston, and Metro-Miami areas competed within their cities for the chance to participate in the Idea Incubator where finalist teams strengthened their solutions with mentors and prepared to apply for up to $1,000 in Implementation Grant funding to bring their ideas to life.

With participation continuing to grow, and Miami joining the Challenge, there was an opportunity to connect GHSC participants with another one of Captain Planet Foundation programs: Planeteer Alliance.

The result was a new virtual space where Green Heart STEM Challenge participants could connect with one another, exchange ideas, and remain part of the Captain Planet Foundation community beyond their individual competitions.

Planeteer Alliance is a global community that brings young people together to collaborate, build their leadership skills and take action for environmental change. As the Green Heart STEM Challenge expands, providing a safe online space where youth across Challenge locations can connect has become an important opportunity.

That need inspired Becca Bullen, Planeteer Alliance Program Manager, to create a dedicated Green Heart STEM Challenge Group within Planeteer HQ, the online community platform for Planeteer Alliance.

This new group is reserved for youth who have participated in the Green Heart STEM Challenge.

Planeteer Alliance groups provide members with a dedicated space to connect around shared interests and experiences. For GHSC participants, the new group offers a place to share experiences from past challenges, explore new Green Heart solutions developed by other students, and stay connected with their Green Heart STEM Challenge team as the school year comes to a close.

Idea Incubator

The new GHSC Group also became an important part of the 2026 Idea Incubator.

As part of the 2026 Idea Incubator in May, winning GHSC teams participated in tailored workshops, collaborating closely with both Team Planet and professional consultants from Accenture. Students worked to strengthen their projects and prepare their solutions for potential Implementation Grant funding.

Through activities hosted within the Planteer HQ group, teams document their budgets, timelines, responsibilities and next steps they will need when they return this fall to begin implementing their projects.

“My students and I learned so much about the process to solving real-world problems with the help of caring people and organizations who have the same goals,” said Christina Airado, educator and mentor of the first-place Miami team from Homestead Middle School in Homestead, FL.

Using Planeteer HQ during the Idea Incubator gave students a window into the work of other winning teams in Atlanta, Houston, and Miami. It helped them recognize that their own projects are a part of a much larger network of youth-led environmental action.

“The Idea Incubator has overall helped us in being connected to all students who are helping their own environment all over the country,” said Riley, a member of BioWare Solutions, the first-place Atlanta EARTH Challenge team from Tucker High School.

Preparing Today’s Youth for Tomorrow’s Green Workforce

The collaboration between the Green Heart STEM Challenge and Planeteer Alliance reflects a larger vision behind Captain Planet Foundation’s youth programming.

Captain Planet Foundation’s three programs (Project Learning Garden, Green Heart STEM Challenge, Planeteer Alliance) engage youth at different stages: from elementary to young adulthood. Together, they create opportunities for youth to progressively build environmental knowledge, leadership skills and career-ready competencies for the green workforce.

“I really enjoyed the experience,” said Mia, a member of BioWare Solutions. “[The experience] really simulates the feel of being in business meetings and having a job. I really think this is helping support our solution, yet also my career goals.”

The Green Heart STEM Challenge looks forward to accepting even more participants headed into the 2027 FIRE Challenge. The Challenge is currently open to students in metros Atlanta, Houston, Miami, and new to this year’s Challenge– San Francisco Bay Area!