Virginia Space Grant Supports Middle School Students in “Plant the Moon Challenge”

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) – Twenty-seven students from Benjamin Franklin Middle School are heading to Richmond to receive awards for their research in the Plant the Moon Challenge. They used simulated lunar soil called regolith to find out the best conditions for growing plants.

Two teams, The Mean Greens and MoonShrooms, were recognized as Overall Best in Show middle school teams for Virginia under the NASA Space Grant Regional Expansion Project.

The Mean Greens were also recognized as the Top Middle School Virginia team within the state awards and Overall Best in Show for the middle school international awards under the Plant the Moon program.

Austin Fletcher, captain of The Mean Greens, said he didn’t expect to win anything.

“I didn’t think we were going to win anything at all, honestly,” Fletcher said.

The students never competed with the mindset of winning. They just wanted to take part in the research.

Read the full article on wdbj7.com

Author Credit: Neesey Payne

Image Credit: WDBJ7

Original Post Date: 5.15.2026