The Captain Planet Foundation is excited to announce that the Green Heart STEM Challenge is coming to Miami!
Since 2023, the Green Heart STEM Challenge has tasked students in Atlanta and Houston with finding environmental issues within their community and developing implementable solutions to resolve student teams’ identified problems. Students participating in the challenge work through a human-centered design process to refine their ideas. Selected finalists earn the chance to pitch their solution to a panel of judges at the Green Heart STEM Challenge Finale. Winning teams go on to complete a two-week incubator workshop where they work with Team Planet and Accenture consultants to refine their ideas and gain eligibility to earn up to $1,000 through our Implementation Grant.
Each year the theme for the challenge focuses on either WATER, WIND, or EARTH. In 2024 teams studied WATER, focusing on protecting the health and vitality of local water systems and their community’s access to water. For the 2025 challenge teams turned their attention to WIND, finding solutions surrounding circular economy and reducing waste from technology, single-use plastics, fast fashion, and food.
In 2026, Miami will join Atlanta and Houston in studying the EARTH element to discover solutions surrounding transforming our food systems to be regenerative, equitable and less wasteful and protecting and restoring healthy trees and soil.
The challenge platform opens on August 1st, allowing teachers to get an early look at what is to come during the January Kickoff. Information and training sessions to learn about the challenge are underway and you can reserve your spot, visit the Green Heart STEM Challenge page.
Additionally, Miami youth do not have to wait until the launch of the Green Heart STEM EARTH Challenge to get engaged with our programs and begin making a positive impact on their community. On Saturday, July 26th (9:00 am – 4:30 pm EST) we will host a WIND Summit at Norwood Park in Miami, Florida!
Spread across the world, our Planeteer Alliance Summits are annual youth-led events, taking place over the last weekend in July, that bring together community members and topic experts to learn about and come up with solutions related to the year’s elemental theme.
The Miami Summit will focus on the WIND element and its circular solutions that can help the Miami community cut down on waste. By attending the summit, youth will learn how to create an environmental campaign, develop a solution to target root issues, and will learn how to formulate compelling pitches. After the event, Miami Summit participants will receive a Certificate in Climate Awareness & Campaign Strategy and become eligible for grant funding through Planeteer Alliance to launch their projects.
Spots for this coveted event are limited, with only 50 scholarships to attend available! High school and college aged youth (ages 14-23) who are looking to better their community through environmental action are invited to register before spots fill up.
Are You ready to engage with climate activists and professionals in Miami and across the world? Register for the Wind Summit today!