New Prospect Elementary Wins Global Best in Show for 2025 Plant the Moon Challenge Jr.
One small step in 1969 inspired decades of space exploration. Generations later, elementary school students are working on how to sustain it.
In September 2025, New Prospect Elementary School received a $3000 grant from the Georgia Space Grant Consortium to participate in a Plant the Moon Challenge Jr. (PTMC) international competition. The grant provided resources for six New Prospect student research teams.
Two fifth-grade and four third-grade teams were outfitted with NASA moon dust simulant, protective gear, plant seeds and instrumentation. They created team names, flight plans, and were ready for lift-off.
The Institute of Competition Science’s (ICS) PTMC is creating a global garden of explorers. Partnered with NASA and state consortiums, schools receive grants for research on crop growth in lunar or Martian regolith (soil) simulant. The project allows competitors to test what nutrients, fertilizers, and other modifications to the regolith will grow nutrient-rich, sustainable food sources for future astronauts.
The New Prospect Space Agency 2 (NPSA 2)-Apollos assembled their group of third grade astro farmers. They chose radishes as their experimental plant because the seeds germinate quickly. The independent variable was plant exposure to blue, white, purple, and natural light. While orbiting their plants for eight weeks, they presented a hypothesis, recorded data of independent and dependent variables, monitored controls, and concluded that the color of light makes a difference in how plants grow.
Third grader Aiden Tsui, an Apollo member who created a shield patch for the team with symbols representing light variation, lunar plant growth, space travel, and other images specific to their mission, said, “It was exciting going to class, checking on the progress of the plants, and watering them. The stems and leaves of the plants reacted to different colors of light. Purple light promoted the greatest growth.”
Their mission was on the right trajectory. In addition to winning Best in Show for Georgia, the NPSA 2-Apollos won the 2025 elementary division Overall Best-in-Show international competition. During the virtual award ceremony, NPSA 2-Apollo got a shout-out from University of Central Florida Research Scientist Jarred Long Fox who said the team’s data could have real applications for sustainable plant growth on the moon.
Grant recipient and Apollo coach Brandy Davis is a STEM teacher and self-proclaimed NASA nerd who encourages students to reach for the stars.
Davis shared, “As a teacher who loves all things space and NASA, my goal is to inspire future astronauts and scientists in my classroom. Opportunities like the Plant the Moon Challenge Jr. help give my elementary students real experiences that bring that dream closer. I always encourage them to dare mighty things."
Principal Amy Lemons stated, “I am so lucky to have a STEM teacher position at New Prospect. Mrs. Davis is an advocate in giving our students amazing opportunities to grow and shine!”
