EcoTeams Challenge 2026: Students Turning Ideas into Action

From France to New York: The Origins of the EcoTeams Challenge

Originally launched in France by Nicolas Louisot, an educator and trainer with the AEFE specializing in science and sustainable development, the EcoTeams Challenge began as an initiative with high school students. This year, he brought this experience and his passion for innovation and sustainable development to New York, inviting younger students to collaborate, think creatively, and tackle real-world environmental issues as a team.

For the French American Academy, this marks its second year participating in a collaborative project with other AEFE schools in the region. Last year, the FAA’e ecodelegates took part in a different eco-focused initiative, traveling to Coney Island for a beach clean-up. This year, however, the vision expanded, encouraging students not only to take action, but to think bigger, collaborate, design innovative solutions, and imagine environmentally responsible possibilities for a more sustainable future. Students came together from the French American Academy (FAA), French American School of New York (FASNY), Le Lycée Français de New York, The École, and Kennedy International School.

The EcoTeam Challenge: What’s It All About?

Before diving into the seven-hour project, students participated in a few icebreaker activities to get to know one another. Audrey Poirette, Teaching and Learning Director at the FAA, accompanied students to the event and described this initial meet-and-greet as both intimidating and eye-opening. Students, some with a five-year age gap, hesitantly took their seats at separate tables, observing peers from other schools. Yet as the day progressed, they began to collaborate, building on each other’s ideas. Older students thoughtfully included the skills and contributions of younger peers, creating a welcoming and inclusive environment, which Audrey described as a highlight of the event. 

Once introductions concluded, the real challenge began. This year’s EcoTeams Challenge invited students to design a school inspired by nature and to create an eco-friendly project. The challenge emphasized creativity, teamwork, and sustainable problem-solving, connecting classroom learning and critical thinking to real-world environmental solutions. The project unfolded in six phases:

1. Exploring proposed construction sites and selecting one for their project
2. Learning about biomimicry—the practice of solving human problems by emulating designs, processes, and systems found in nature—from Jean-Matthieu Cousin, engineer at Ceebios, and about architecture from architects Juan Carlos Carrillo and Heidi de Bethmann
3. Sharing ideas to integrate biomimicry, architectural solutions, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their school project
4. Designing sketches and plans for their school model
5. Building the model of their school
6. Preparing and delivering an oral presentation to a jury to explain and defend their design choices

Through this challenge, Nicolas Louisot and the five AEFE schools in New York created a meaningful opportunity for the network of eco-delegates to connect learning with real-world application. Participants developed knowledge of sustainability and biomimicry, strengthened their project-based skills, and fostered a sense of community and teamwork, transforming a group of strangers at the start of the day into collaborative problem-solvers by the end.

The Purpose Behind the Challenge: Building Skills and Fostering Responsible, Collaborative Citizens

Going into this project, students were asked to bring key qualities that define an eco-delegate, including open-mindedness, scientific thinking, communication, civic responsibility, and teamwork. The EcoTeams Challenge then helped them build on these strengths, further developing essential academic, social, and 21st-century skills that extend beyond the project and deepen their understanding of sustainable development. 

Academically, students learned to:

• Understand how the environment, society, and the economy interact, connecting local actions to global initiatives
• Apply knowledge from science, technology, and the arts to bring their ideas to life
• Bridge theory and practice through hands-on projects
• Present and defend their ideas with clarity and reasoning

Socially and emotionally, students developed the ability to:

• Cooperate and communicate effectively
• Negotiate and share ideas
• Bridge the skills and perspectives of a wide age range (4th to 9th grade)
• Build confidence and work as part of a team
• Practice empathy and active listening
• Manage stress, time constraints, and unexpected, on-the-spot challenges

At the FAA, our goal has always been to cultivate holistic, well-rounded learners. This team-based challenge brought that mission to life, allowing students to strengthen key 21st-century skills, including:

• Critical thinking
• Multidisciplinary learning
• Creativity and innovation
• Collaboration
• Communication and public speaking
• Organization and time management
• Leadership
• Global citizenship

Through the EcoTeams Challenge, students not only gained knowledge but also developed the skills needed to tackle real-world problems, work effectively with others, and act as responsible, engaged global citizens. 

A final highlight, shared by Audrey Poirette, was watching the students present their models to the jury. She was particularly impressed to see even the youngest students, from 4th grade, speaking confidently alongside high schoolers, proving that every voice mattered. Each group thoughtfully divided roles and tailored tasks to match each student’s abilities, demonstrating teamwork, collaboration, and reflection throughout both the creation and presentation of their models. An experience like this is one we hope to integrate into the wider FAA community and curriculum in the future.