Miami Middle Schoolers Win Grants for Climate Solutions

Middle school students aren't waiting for adults to fix climate change. In Miami, they're designing the solutions themselves and getting paid to build them.

On March 18, close to 100 Miami-Dade County middle schoolers gathered at the Betty T. Ferguson Auditorium for something bigger than a typical science fair. With a live DJ and cheering classmates, eight finalist teams pitched real solutions to environmental problems plaguing their own streets and schools.

The event was the first Miami finale for the Green Heart STEM Challenge, a national program run by the Captain Planet Foundation. What makes it special is what happens after the presentations end.

Winning teams don't just get trophies. They receive professional mentors, help refining their budgets, and grants up to $1,000 to actually build what they designed.

First place went to The Countertop Cultivators from Homestead Middle School. Their project tackles a painful irony: Homestead sits in one of America's biggest farming regions, yet many neighbors struggle to afford fresh produce.

The students designed "Micro-Harvest Kits" using recycled two-liter bottles as self-watering planters for lettuce, spinach, and herbs. Families can grow nutritious food right on their kitchen counters.

Second place went to The Smart Cookies from North County K-8 Center, who noticed students cutting across grass at school, destroying plants and compacting soil. Their solution combines a new concrete walkway with raised garden beds and peer education about why healthy soil matters.

The Sand Savers took third place with a plan to slow beach erosion that costs South Florida over $500 million annually. They're educating their community about groins and jetties while organizing volunteer installation events.

The 2026 challenge focused on EARTH themes including food waste, soil health, and coastal protection. The program rotates through four elements over four years, so students can explore different environmental systems if they participate again.

This year's cohort is the largest yet, involving thousands of students and over 100 educators across multiple states. Miami joined markets in Atlanta and Houston, plus a virtual track reaching Arizona, Michigan, Virginia, and Rhode Island.

The Ripple Effect

The winning Miami teams will advance to the Idea Incubator, where industry professionals volunteer as project managers to help turn student sketches into working plans. Past participants from other cities describe this stage as the moment their projects became real.

Students who complete the workshop and submit final implementation plans become eligible for the grants. They then have three to six months to carry out their solutions in their actual communities.

Leesa Carter-Jones, President and CEO of the Captain Planet Foundation, says focusing on local problems drives both participation and results. "We're not trying to save the polar bear from Miami," she explained. "What can you do in Miami that's going to make a difference for you and your peers and your family every single day?"

The foundation, celebrating 35 years this year, launched the Green Heart STEM Challenge in 2022. One 2024 winner from Atlanta even helped design the learning platform current students use.

For the students who competed last month, the medals were just the beginning—their projects are no longer just classroom assignments.