Students and teachers travel to New York City to pitch their STEM
inventions in the final event
RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today, Samsung Electronics America, Inc., announced the 10 national
finalists in the 9th annual Samsung
Solve for Tomorrow Contest. The nationwide competition challenges
students in grades 6-12 to use STEM (science, technology, engineering
and math) skills to address local issues and inspire change in their
communities. Each national finalist school will receive $50,000* in
Samsung technology and classroom supplies, and a trip to the National
Finalist Pitch Event in New York City to compete for the grand prize.
The topics addressed by students around the U.S. are some of the biggest
issues the country is facing today – from reducing the carbon footprint
to securing classrooms during a school shooting. Fifty state winner
schools submitted a three-minute video showcasing how their projects
address a critical community issue, and the top 10 national finalists
were selected for their ingenuity.
“From school safety to climate change, these students experienced
challenges that affect our nation as a whole, but rather than sitting on
the sidelines, they have become changemakers,” said Ann Woo, Senior
Director of Corporate Citizenship, Samsung Electronics America. “Samsung
Solve for Tomorrow challenges students to create high-impact, functional
solutions. Each of these national finalists answered the call beyond our
imaginations, and we look forward to seeing their world-changing STEM
innovations in action this April.”
Student representatives from the 10 national finalist schools will
travel to New York City to pitch their projects to a panel of judges at
Samsung 837 on Monday, April 1 and share their ideas with the public at
the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum on Tuesday, April 2. Judges will
select three national grand prize winners who will receive $100,000* in
technology and classroom supplies for their school. At the Intrepid
Museum, the national finalists will join other students and educators,
technologists, and NGO leaders for educational sessions, networking and
demonstrations to further explore the difference STEM can make in their
lives. In addition, all 40 state winner teachers will receive an
invitation to attend and participate in professional development
opportunities and workshops that can impact future STEM projects.
Using social media voting, the general public will also elect one
Community Choice Winner from the pool of national finalists to receive
an additional $10,000* in Samsung technology for their school. Anyone
throughout the country can vote on social media for their favorite
school and project. To participate, simply view the videos on the Samsung
Solve for Tomorrow website, then cast a vote once a day, before
voting closes at 11:59 p.m. EST on March 27, 2019.
The 10 national finalists in the 9th annual Samsung Solve for
Tomorrow Contest are:
| School | City, State | STEM Project | Video | |||
| Los Altos High School | Hacienda Heights, California |
Constructed an affordable and environmentally-safe trap to combat the increase in Tiger Mosquitoes carrying incurable diseases |
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| Concord High School | Wilmington, Delaware |
Designed assistive learning devices to help students with disabilities succeed in the classroom |
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| Goddard High School | Goddard, Kansas |
Designed a GPS-enabled device for at-risk foster children to contact authorities in case of an emergency |
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| ENLACE at Lawrence High School | Lawrence, Massachusetts |
Designed a device to help prevent natural gas explosions that recently destroyed local homes |
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| Owensville High School | Owensville, Missouri |
Designed a lock to quickly secure a classroom in the event of a school shooting |
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| Holly Grove Middle School | Holly Springs, North Carolina |
Created a smart school bus stop sign to alert drivers before the bus arrives to help prevent pedestrian accidents |
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| Northern Cass Middle School | Hunter, North Dakota |
Developed an app that modernizes the 911 system by using video to prepare first responders before they arrive on the scene |
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| Fairfield High School | Fairfield, Ohio |
Created an app-controlled and solar-powered car defrosting device to reduce carbon dioxide emissions |
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| Richland Two Institute of Innovation | Columbia, South Carolina |
Created electromagnetic door locks and curtains to quickly secure classrooms in the event of a school shooting |
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| Deep Creek Middle School | Chesapeake, Virginia |
Created a website and app for high-need students with poor vision to access free prescription glasses |
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Each of the 50 state winners also collaborated with Samsung employees
who volunteered to advise on projects and offer their expertise as
project mentors. These mentors participated in informative webinars, Q&A
sessions, one-on-one Skype conversations, in-person meetings and more to
help expand prototype possibilities.
The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest was launched in 2009 to encourage
innovation among young students while addressing the technology gap in
classrooms across the country. This contest has since provided more than
$23 million in technology to more than 1,700 schools nationwide.
To learn more about the national finalists, please visit www.samsung.com/solve
or follow the contest on Instagram @SolveForTomorrow.
For official rules and judging criteria, click here.
*Estimated Retail Value
About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, N.J., Samsung Electronics America,
Inc. (SEA), is a recognized innovative leader in consumer electronics,
mobile devices and enterprise solutions. A wholly owned subsidiary of
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., SEA is pushing beyond the limits of
today’s technology and providing consumers and organizations with a
portfolio of groundbreaking products in appliances, home entertainment,
Internet of Things, mobile computing, smartphones, virtual reality,
wireless infrastructure and wearables, in addition to offering leading
content and services related to mobile payments, 360-degree VR video,
customer support and more. Samsung is a pioneering leader in smartphones
and HDTVs in the U.S. and one of America’s fastest growing home
appliance brands. To discover more about Samsung, please visit www.samsung.com.
For the latest Samsung news, please visit news.samsung.com/us and
follow us @SamsungNewsUS
Contacts
Brenna Eller
Samsung Electronics America
201-543-4615
b.eller@sea.samsung.com
Olivia
Gust
Allison+Partners for Samsung
503-290-7304
SamsungSFT@allisonpr.com