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RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J. – April 2, 2019 – Samsung Electronics America, Inc. announced today the three grand prize national winners in the ninth annual $2 million* Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest – a national competition that challenges public school students in grades 6 through 12 to use STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills to address real-world problems.

Owensville High School in Owensville, Mo.; Holly Grove Middle School in Holly Springs, N.C.; and Deep Creek Middle School in Chesapeake, Va. were named the three national winners for their respective efforts to confront school safety, pedestrian fatalities and healthcare access using STEM. The winners were announced today after students presented their projects to a panel of judges at the National Finalist Pitch Event this week in New York City.  Each school will receive $100,000* in technology and classroom supplies to meet the needs of their students such as Samsung Flips, Samsung Chromebooks, 3-D printers, tablets, microscopes, lab materials, and more. 

“This year’s national winners were truly impressive not only because of the passion and curiosity they have for solving critical community issues, but also because each school’s innovation represents a tangible solution capable of achieving measurable community impact,” said Ann Woo, Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship, Samsung Electronics America. “We at Samsung are committed to elevating STEM learning because year after year, with the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest, we witness how it inspires students to explore their future potential as engineers, designers, mathematicians, software developers and more.” 

The national winners and their STEM projects are:

Owensville High School – Owensville, Mo.

With school shootings on the rise, students at Owensville High School designed a simple and secure door lock to help keep students and teachers safe in the event an armed intruder were to gain access to the building. Because traditional door locks can be quickly dismantled by a firearm, Owensville High students designed, modeled and created a steel lock that cannot be easily disengaged from outside of the classroom. Once installed on the interior of a door, the one-piece lock can be easily and quickly put into place to prevent an intruder from entering and attacking students and teachers. 

View Owensville High School’s project video: 

Holly Grove Middle School – Holly Springs, N.C.  

Nationally, 88 percent of school bus drivers have reported cars illegally passing stopped school buses, causing student injuries and fatalities every year. In North Carolina alone, there are approximately 300 illegal passes reported each day. After a classmate was almost hit by a car, students at Holly Grove Middle School were inspired to take action. Research and consultation with transportation officials told them that traditional bus stop signs were not working. So, the students created a Smart School Bus Stop Sign and bus sensor to alert drivers of an approaching bus before it even arrives. Approximately 400 feet before reaching the stop, the Smart Stop Sign will change colors, indicating to drivers that they must slow down and stop. The students’ invention was so successful in testing that they’re working with city officials to install Smart Stop Signs at the locations where the most violations have occurred. 

Holly Grove Middle School was also named this year’s Community Choice Winner for generating the most public votes online. As the Community Choice Winner, the students have won an additional $10,000* in technology for their school. 

View Holly Grove Middle School’s project video:

Deep Creek Middle School – Chesapeake, Va. 

Studies show 25 percent of American school-aged children have undiagnosed eye problems, which can impact learning and ultimately their academic success. Many of these students continue to go undiagnosed due to the high cost of vision exams and prescription eyeglasses. The students at Deep Creek Middle School developed a mobile app and website to match their fellow students with poor visions with free exams and donated prescription eye glasses. Since launching their app, every student at Deep Creek Middle School who needs glasses has received them or soon will receive them, and the students are working to expand the service to other local schools. 

View Deep Creek Middle School’s project video:

After submitting project ideas last October, the three national winners were selected from thousands of schools nationwide and progressed throughout various stages of the contest and project development. They were selected as one of 250 state finalists (five per state) in November, then one of 50 state winners in January, then one of 10 national finalists in March, and ultimately, a 2019 national grand prize winner.

The three national winners will be honored at a luncheon in Washington, D.C. the first week of May and will also have the opportunity to meet with and present their projects to their respective congressional representatives.

The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest was created to encourage innovation while addressing the technology gap in classrooms across the country. Since its inception in 2010, Samsung has provided more than $25 million in technology to thousands of public schools in the United States. Over the past nine years, Samsung has received thousands of entries for the competition, empowering youth to problem-solve and create with the support of their teachers, peers, schools and communities at large.

To learn more about the contest and this year’s winners, please visit: www.samsung.com/solve.

*Estimated Retail Value

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“Grateful doesn’t begin to cover how we feel about being here,” said Kevin Lay, teacher to a team of three high schoolers from Missouri’s Owensville High School who were about to pitch their potentially life-saving technology to a panel of judges in New York City in a bid to win $100,000 in Samsung technology for their school.

It was their first visit to NYC, and two out of three team members were fresh off their first-ever airplane ride because they’d made it to the final round of the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest, which challenges 6th through 12th graders in public schools to solve a problem in their community using Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Paige T., Jonah H. and Trey F. were calmly waiting to go before cameras and a big, live audience to present their answer to reinforcing school safety – a prototype of their “intruder lock” concept. It’s a simple-to-use door lock that quickly secures a classroom in the event an armed intruder were to gain entry. Once installed on the interior of a door, the one-piece lock can be easily and quickly put into place to prevent an intruder from entering.

“These kids are going to make change in the world,” Lay said, on the sidelines of the pitch event. The 10 National Finalist teams had already won $50,000 each in Samsung technology and supplies for their schools – items like Samsung Chromebooks and tablets, 3D printers and more — essential tools in today’s classroom and in the world of work.

“They care about creating a legacy – they want to leave something behind,” Lay emphasized.

The three students took the stage. Paige T., Owensville’s project leader, took the mic. “We wanted to create a safe learning environment for students,” she said, presenting the deceptively small pair of metal brackets (easily installed into a door and its frame) and the little piece of metal that connects the two and locks the door.

“If you can save precious moments or seconds with this lock, that’s all it could take to potentially save lives,” Jonah H. said.

The three young scientists’ efforts to tackle a pressing issue facing schools across the nation earned them a Solve for Tomorrow grand prize and they’ve since returned home as local heroes.

Sixth-graders from North Carolina also nabbed one of three grand prizes for their smart school bus stop sign, which alerts drivers to an oncoming school bus well before it arrives to help prevent pedestrian accidents.

Making their final pitch to the judges at Samsung 837, the company’s marketing center of excellence, Holly Grove Middle School team members Evan K., Reanna R. and Boston H. explained how their smart sign was built to reduce the stop-arm violations that can cause fatal pedestrian accidents around school buses. The students reported a limited trial locally in Holly Springs, NC resulted in fewer stop-arm violations in precisely the hot spots where there had previously been the most.

That’s because the 19-member Holly Grove team equipped the sign with bright lights that shine yellow when a bus is 400 feet away from the sign, flash yellow when the bus is at 200 feet and shine red when the bus is 100 feet away, triggered by an accompanying mobile application the school bus driver has that communicates with the sign. Team teacher Debbie Schelin explained that because the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest specifically challenges students and their teachers to address a local community issue and engage local experts to refine the STEM project, the Holly Grove Middle School team met with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, school board officials and local law enforcement, during their design process.

Schelin described a journey of learning STEM skills and self-discovery that no team member could have predicted.

“Every inch of the way has been healthy and positive for them,” she said. “And it’s reignited my passion for teaching.”

The contest strengthened students’ interest in STEM and so much more, she said.

“I’ve noticed more confidence in themselves, in who they are, what they can become and the change they can make in the world.”

“It’s just been incredible,” Evan K. said after the win. Even though the New York Samsung experience was different from anything he’s ever known, this 6^th grader had it all in perspective.

“I think we’ll probably put some of the prize into starting a STEM program at our school,” he added.

Rounding out the grand prize winners was the team from Deep Creek Middle School, in Chesapeake, VA, for their website and app that matches students in need and who have poor vision with free eye exams and prescription glasses.

“A lot of kids in our school have trouble seeing in class, but they can’t get glasses because they’re not financially stable,” said Olivia L., making her pitch to the judges.

Beyond creating the technology, students also arranged for countless glasses donations and phoned optometrists in their area to ask for donated services. The response was overwhelmingly positive. Their project, “Sight for Tomorrow,” is already working in their own school: Every Deep Creek student who needs glasses either has them now or is on their way to receiving them, and the team hopes to implement it district-wide.

With the grand-prize win, they’re setting their sights even higher.

“Now we have a chance to expand the program and help even more kids,” said team teacher Paula Labbe. The students also hope their design can be used nationwide.

“This was my first STEM experience. We didn’t know how to make an app or a website, so we figured it out as we went along,” said team member Olivia L., who wants to become an obstetrician. “But I never thought we’d get to New York! It’s been pretty exciting.”

Teammate Hunter J. said the journey was “surreal.”

“Something that started so small materialized into winning a national contest,” he marveled, moments after learning Team Deep Creek had won.

In between the pitch event at Samsung 837, and the glittering awards gala and STEM fair at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, the National Finalist teams’ schedule was packed. They met with start-up entrepreneurs at Samsung NEXT, where they got an overview of how to take their projects to the next level.

“The workshops focused on the business side of STEM, and it showed us that we can get this out there,” said Jonah H., of Owensville High School.

After a whirlwind tour of New York City the following morning atop an open double-decker bus, the 10 teams made their way to the legendary aircraft carrier Intrepid for a Samsung STEM fair, where they fielded deeper questions from attendees while exhibiting their projects.

Owensville students, for example, explained how their project was as much an exercise in psychology as it was in technology. Locking the door can make students and teacher feel safer and more in control of their lives in a dire situation, while the tech itself disrupts an armed intruder’s plan and disorients precisely when it could make all the difference.

In 10 short weeks, the 10 Samsung Solve for Tomorrow National Finalist teams truly grew – as scientists, as students and as citizens. That’s what project-based STEM learning is all about, and that’s why Samsung is committed to the movement.

“The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest changes a lot of students’ lives,” said Owensville team teacher Kevin Lay, adding, “But because of this experience I know that I’m a changed teacher.”

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“It’s exciting and surprising that just from our small school project, we got to meet congresswomen and congressmen and senators,” said Holly Grove Middle School student Buysimi A., as he met his home state’s senior senator, Richard Burr (R-NC), on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. Buysimi and two of his Samsung Solve for Tomorrow teammates were in Washington, D.C. to promote education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as one of the three Grand Prize-winning school teams in the national STEM contest, which challenges public school students in grades 6 through 12 to solve a problem in their community using STEM.

“And we brought $110,000 in [Samsung] technology back to our school,” Buysimi said. “A lot of surprising things have happened!” Each winning team won $100,000 in Samsung technology and school supplies for their school and Holly Grove Middle School was awarded an extra $10,000 in Samsung technology for winning the contest’s community choice award.

The sixth graders from Holly Springs, NC designed a smart school bus stop sign, which alerts drivers before a school bus arrives and reduces the number of pedestrian accidents. Their win was announced on April 2 on April 2. One week later, U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN) and Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA) introduced legislation that could put the Holly Grove team’s stop sign on the map.

So on May 1, as all three Solve for Tomorrow champion teams went to Congress to meet their representatives in the House and Senate and show them their STEM project prototypes, the 12-year-old North Carolina student scientists also sat down with the Indiana congresswoman to discuss her bill aimed at eliminating deadly pedestrian accidents around school buses, as well as the kids’ inventive technology.

“These students have found a way to create change, one step at a time,” said Ann Woo, Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics America, during the meeting with Walorski in the Cannon House Office Building, just steps from the Capitol Dome. The STOP at School Buses Act of 2019 aims to do just that, through research and implementation of safety measures and prevention laws and by boosting safety technology and driver education.

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“The timing of the legislation is synchronous with what the students are doing, and that’s because it’s an important issue,” Woo said. “We’re hopeful the students will feel a unique sense of empowerment from both their hard work and the visibility they’ve gained for such an important issue that affects not only their community but also so many others.”

Across the Capitol, the team of eighth-grade students from Deep Creek Middle School, in Chesapeake, VA, got a special introduction to Washington when they met with Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), in the majestic, marble-lined Russell Senate Office Building. Kaine, who was presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s running mate in 2016, discussed the spark for Deep Creek’s project, “Sight for Tomorrow,” a web application and database that matches low-income students who have poor vision students with free eye exams and prescription glasses.

“We’re working with the school district to get school nurses involved and expand Sight for Tomorrow to all our schools,” said team teacher Paula Labbe. Student Olivia L., said they’ve already implemented the program in one elementary school, and the student participants in their own middle school are all experiencing improved grades, confidence and behavior now that they have the prescription glasses they needed.

The D.C. trip opened students’ eyes not only to government in action but also to career options they might never have considered. Lauren Marshall, legislative assistant for education policy to Virginia Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), told the students from Deep Creek Middle School about how her college education opened doors to political internships that ultimately led to her position as a staff member in Warner’s office. The students’ whirlwind tour of the nation’s capital also took them to a monumental art installation by sculptor Alexander Calder in the atrium of the Hart Senate Office Building, where they paused for some team photos before dashing off to their next appointment on Capitol Hill.

“I would never have imagined myself as an eighth grader talking about our project with senators in Washington,” said Olivia. “It’s exciting!

Meanwhile, in the famed Capitol rotunda, at the very center of the U.S. Capitol, the Solve for Tomorrow winning team from Owensville High School, in Owensville, Missouri, was on a private tour guided by Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO). During the team’s day in Washington, Hawley and Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) each examined the team’s innovative yet simple metal intruder lock, designed by the group to be easily installed on classroom doors and help gain precious seconds for students and teacher to hide or escape in the event an armed intruder enters a school.

On the House side of the Capitol, the Owensville teens sat down with the congressman from their own district, Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO-3).

“As a teacher, it’s not just about teaching your students science, technology, engineering and math. It’s about seeing your students work through their failures themselves. That’s something you can’t simulate in a textbook,” said Kevin Lay, the Owensville students’ teacher.

Congressman Luetkemeyer agreed. “It’s a real-world application,” he said. “Pretty nifty.”

The Missouri lawmaker queried the students about technical details of the design, such as strength testing, and was beaming with pride about their accomplishments. “Through your efforts, you have become examples to all other students,” Luetkemeyer said.

Following the teams’ congressional visits they showcased their projects at the Consumer Technology Association’s CES on the Hill event and were recognized at a luncheon held in their honor with guest speakers Kris Brown, Deputy Associate Administrator of STEM Engagement at NASA and Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC-5) as well as a congratulatory video message sent to the students from Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA-3).

“I was thrilled to be a part of the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow celebration. The students from Holly Grove Middle School, Owensville High School and Deep Creek Middle School have done amazing work that has made an impact,” said Brown. “These students are STEM superstars! Through their projects, they have discovered the power of STEM in creating possibilities that make a difference in people’s lives. Using STEM to enable powerful efforts that benefit society and our communities is vitally important as we move forward into the future.”

In her remarks, Dr. Foxx emphasized the need for more schools to teach STEM subjects nationwide and thanked Samsung for making STEM a priority. The congresswoman called public-private partnerships like Samsung Solve for Tomorrow a “commonsense solution to develop STEM education around the country,” adding “What a pleasure to meet such brilliant students from all three schools today… The fact that you’re all here shows your commitment to making the American workforce – and more importantly, the American worker – stronger for the future.”

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How can a student scientist get over stage fright? That’s the pressing question facing 10 national finalist teams of public school students traveling to New York City on April 1 to pitch their unique STEM ideas to a panel of judges (and a big audience), as Samsung’s 2019 Solve for Tomorrow contest heads into the home stretch.

Stakes are high. After hearing the students’ all-important presentations, the judges will select just three teams as grand-prize winners of the contest that challenges public middle and high schoolers to use science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to solve a problem in their community, sending each of those three teams home with $100,000 in Samsung technology and supplies for their schools.

The path from national finalist to grand-prize winner isn’t easy. Here to help with their best advice are teachers and students who guided past Solve for Tomorrow championship teams.

1. Practice, practice, practice.

“Memorize your script… then throw it away,” advises STEM teacher Michael Eilertsen, whose middle school team from Snowflake Junior High School, in Snowflake, Arizona, won the 2017 Solve for Tomorrow contest with a low-cost wildlife detection system to alert oncoming traffic to nearby animals and reduce the number of fatal collisions. “Preparation and practice are the keys to getting students ready to speak in front of a large audience.”

Eilertsen gave his students many opportunities to get comfortable with discussing their project, answering questions on the spot and presenting in a more formal setting. Manning a booth at a local science fair and pitching their idea to the local school board helped hone his students’ public-speaking skills. He advised his students to focus on just one person at a time during the pitch, to avoid feeling overwhelmed by the crowd.

Another Solve for Tomorrow alumni teacher had his students craft a five-minute pitch script, then relentlessly practice and refine it until they were finally at ease with their presentation.

“Presenting to different audiences and to a large group, like the student body, can also help alleviate any anxiety,” said Justin Reinmuth, electronics teacher at Gering High School, in Gering, Nebraska, whose team designed a drone-powered spraying system to reduce the use of herbicides and pesticides on crops by way of precise targeting. Reinmuth’s students were named Solve for Tomorrow National Finalists two years in a row and clinched the Grand Prize in the 2017 competition.

For those times that practicing out loud isn’t an option, a handy set of notes can reinforce preparation and quell nerves, according to Maureen Pollitz, gifted-student teacher at Nicholson Elementary School, in Picayune, Mississippi, whose team of sixth graders won a grand prize in the 2015 Solve for Tomorrow contest for designing a robot to fix obstructed storm drains and prevent flooding.

“We created a booklet on the process for the students to review on the airplane to New York when they became nervous,” she said.

Rachel R., one of Reinmuth’s students who pitched her Gering High School team’s National Finalist project to the 2018 Solve for Tomorrow judges, said preparation and practice are essential to a great presentation, and so is self-confidence.

“You’ve made it this far,” Rachel said. “You’re prepared. You know what you’re doing. So be confident in yourself, and relax. It helps your sentences flow better and makes what you’re saying sound more conversational.”

2. Communicate Passionately.

Pollitz, of Picayune, MS, said her students communicated powerfully about their project by demonstrating to the judges exactly how important their solution was to them and to their community.

“It amazes me the enthusiasm and passion my students had for the project and the legacy they left behind,” she said.

Eilertsen, of Snowflake, AZ, said great communication starts with an interesting hook that catches the audience’s attention.

“Then explain the problem in a personal way that has some heart, and show how your project effectively helps solve the problem,” he advised.

3. Enjoy the Ride.

“Have a great time! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Reinmuth, of Gering, NE, and Eilertsen agreed.

“Think of the final pitch event as a party for the best in the nation,” he said. “Your school is already a winner. Don’t forget to smile and have fun.”

A past national finalist herself, Rachel R. had some practical advice to share with this year’s talented 10 teams as they prepare to head to New York to spend so much time with so many strangers.

“Make friends on the first night,” Rachel said. “The pitch event is so much more fun if you get to know the other competitors. Then soak up the culture while you can. The week goes fast, and it’s hard to leave.”

No matter what the trip holds for the 2019 national finalists, it’s going to be unforgettable, said Pollitz.

“Solve for Tomorrow was an unforgettable experience that my students and I will always treasure.”

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They’re keeping their eyes on the prize.

Ten teams of young scientists from public schools around the country are set to descend on New York City for a whirlwind visit that will include a formal pitch to a panel of judges and the glittering grand-prize reveal event on the legendary Intrepid aircraft carrier, as Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow 2019 STEM contest heads to its exciting finale. 

The contest challenges 6^th to 12^th grade public school students to solve a challenge in their community using science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). For many of the top ten national finalist teams, selected from among thousands of entrants, the promise of making a real-world difference was their inspiration. And now, their creative STEM solutions are on their way to changing the world. 

Deep Creek Middle School, in Chesapeake, Virginia

“Regardless of the outcome of the competition, we have won because we have given the gift of sight to our students,” said Paula Labbe, physical science teacher at Deep Creek Middle School, in Chesapeake, Virginia, whose team created “Sight for Tomorrow,” a website and mobile app that matches high-need students who have poor vision with access to free eye exams and prescription glasses.

Since launching their app, every student at the school who needs glasses has received them or soon will, and students have expanded the service to other local schools, she said.

“They’ve seen their efforts have a direct, positive impact on the lives of their classmates, a positive impact on the world,” and that has fueled her students’ confidence, Labbe said. 

“They’re able to discuss our project with authority. They’ve become champions at giving interviews.” 

Concord High School, Wilmington, DE

A student from the National Finalist team in Wilmington, Delaware said he’s learned the most from the process of designing a product for a “real-world client.”

“Samsung Solve for Tomorrow has given me a sense of inspiration that what I’m working on is valuable to others and a sense of responsibility to do better,” said Micah M., of Concord High School, whose team designed hands-on assistive learning devices to help elementary-school students with disabilities succeed in the classroom. 

Concord team teacher Jordan Estock said his students grew in their ability to empathize with the people they were trying to support – and gained so much in return.

“Meeting the teachers and students who needed our help served as the perfect motivator throughout our design process,” Estock said. 

Lawrence High School’s ENLACE, Lawrence, MA

In Lawrence, Massachusetts, a high school team of English-language learners new to the community were driven to help their new neighbors after a series of gas explosions in rocked their town and environs, a tragedy that destroyed dozens of homes and claimed the life of a teenager. Using a 3D printer, the students designed a safety valve to help prevent future gas line blasts due to high pressure – and earned themselves the National Finalist title in the contest.
Team teacher Shaddai Vargas, an art teacher in Lawrence High School’s ENLACE (Engaging Newcomers in Language & Content Education) program, said that their efforts to address the threat garnered much media attention, as well as interest from the gas company responsible.

“They looked at our prototype and were amazed because it had a lot in common with a safety device they were planning on buying,” Vargas said. “That let us know that we were going in the right direction, and students felt really proud of their work.”

Vargas’s students have faced an added challenge in the contest to overcome language barriers while learning the STEM skills critical to designing the prototype, but said the results have been worth it.

“Students realize that all their efforts will serve as scaffolding for upcoming students’ efforts, which has given them even more purpose,” said Vargas. “It’s an honor for us to be able to raise awareness among schools about implementing STEM and show how it can align with community needs.”

Richland Two Institute of Innovation, Columbia, SC

Two of the top ten teams used STEM to take on the pressing national issue of school safety. Students from Richland Two Institute of Innovation, in Columbia, South Carolina, created an electromagnetic door lock and curtain that swiftly secures classrooms. 

Team teacher Kirstin Bullington said she was moved to see her student engineers realize that “they already have the ability to solve problems in their community.” As a result, Bullington explained, this helped them transform their feelings of frustration and helplessness in the midst of a national epidemic of gun violence. Community input also helped the students build a more robust solution while learning that “failure is a part of design.” and growing their confidence as they worked through each obstacle that arose.

“The application of STEM to real-world problems drastically increases student engagement and changes how confident the students are in pursuing STEM careers,” Bullington said. “No matter what career each student ultimately pursues, I believe participating in Solve for Tomorrow will leave a positive imprint on their futures.”

The next step for the students of Richland Two could be one of the most fruitful in their process. 

“I love that our students get the opportunity to travel to New York and pitch their idea – it just reinforces the authenticity of their learning experience,” Bullington said.

Owensville High School, Owensville, MO

Addressing the same issue, Owensville High School, in Owensville, Missouri, designed a one-piece steel lock that quickly secures a classroom against an armed intruder and is not easily disengaged from outside the classroom.

Owensville team teacher Kevin Lay said it took input from the broader community to make his students’ vision a reality. 

“We needed an engineer to let us know what was even realistic in our design. We needed our lead maintenance technician to show us what was really applicable not only in our school’s door system but adapted for other schools’ doors,” Lay said. “The importance of community involvement could be the biggest reason why these amazing students are going to New York.” 

Lay’s team saw their final design brought to life by a nearby aerospace manufacturer.

“These students know that the result of their work could have a life-changing impact on any child they see walk through our school doors,” he said. “They’re willing and ready to embrace their role and make change.” 

Goddard High School, Goddard, KS

In Goddard, Kansas, the students from Goddard High School, carefully brought together the right ingredients for a GPS-enabled device to help children in foster homes who may experience abuse contact authorities in an emergency.

“When we visited the Child Advocacy Center, all the startling statistics became reality for my students,” said Goddard team teacher Cassie Banka. “They heard about the atrocious things children in our community experienced. They witnessed how community agencies work together to find the safest place for children. They learned just how many children enter the foster care system every year. And they knew they had to make a positive change.”

Banka explained they became so invested in their community in the process, that her students willingly attended weekend work sessions on their project, and even came in over spring break to work.

“Students now understand just how impactful our device could be in the lives of so many children,” she said.

Holly Grove Middle School, Holly Springs, NC

At Holly Grove Middle School in Holly Springs, North Carolina a different kind of safety issue became top of mind for teacher Debbie Schelin’s students: preventing pedestrian accidents when students are getting on and off a school bus. So the team created a smart school bus stop sign that alerts drivers even before a school bus arrives, and helps prevent pedestrian accidents.

Team teacher Debbie Schelin said students involved their community in every step of their process, with peer and parent surveys, school bus driver focus groups and meetings with the school district’s transportation directors, an engineer from the state’s Department of Transportation, the Owensville town council and local law enforcement.

“Solve for Tomorrow has given my students a real-world opportunity to grow as involved community members, STEM researchers, collaborators and problem solvers,” Schelin said. “It’s an incredible opportunity for kids to create their own learning path.”

Northern Cass Middle School, Hunter, ND

For a team from a small town in North Dakota, participation in Solve for Tomorrow has had wide-ranging effects.

Eighth-grade engineers at Northern Cass Middle School, in Hunter, ND, developed a mobile app that modernizes the 911 system by using video to prepare first responders before they arrive on the scene.

According to the students’ video created for the contest, it can take 30 minutes or more for emergency personnel to respond to a situation in Hunter, so the team devised a way to make the journey constructive. “EVA” (Emergency Video Assistance) connects the caller, dispatcher and emergency personnel via video chat, provides step-by-step instructions for lifesaving skills like CPR, and helps first responders assess and understand the situation before arriving.

“Our school is in the middle of nowhere with a total population of 600 students K through 12, so proving to themselves that they can compete with anyone in the nation on such an intense challenge has been great,”  said Northern Cass team teacher Ben Hannasch, adding the confidence they’ve gained in the process has translated to the classroom.

Fairfield High School, Fairfield, OH

The National Finalist team from Fairfield High School, in Fairfield, Ohio derived inspiration and input from their community as they sought to reduce local carbon dioxide emissions by creating Operation Thaw, an app-controlled, solar-powered car heating device that defrosts the windshield without starting the vehicle.

“The community reinforced for our group the importance of our fix and allowed students to see that their solution was not just academic, but actually beneficial in the real world,” said team teacher Kurt Etter. “Each successive interaction with community members increased the focus and drive of the students to complete the project.”

Los Altos High School, Hacienda Heights, CA

The very real-world problem of mosquito-borne disease transmission was the target of a Southern California high school team’s Solve for Tomorrow innovation. Students at Los Altos High School, in Hacienda Heights, created an affordable and environmentally safe trap to combat the increase in tiger mosquitos, which carry deadly viruses like Zika, Yellow Fever, Dengue Fever and Chikungunya.

Using a 3D-printed design, the team remedied the standing-water problem of traditional mosquito traps by creating a trap with a replaceable plug that dissolves over time and allows water to exit automatically. They also designed a mobile app that encourages the community to maintain their traps and report on mosquito activity.

The right design didn’t come easily, but the process yielded priceless lessons, said Paul Fang, the students’ teacher.

“Students strengthened their resilience when things didn’t go as planned,” he said. “We’ve gone through multiple prototypes, and we’re still trying to improve it!”

True testimony that these 2019 Solve for Tomorrow national finalists have learned the pursuit of STEM innovation is not a one-time endeavor but an endless exploration.

On April 1^st and 2nd, the 10 national finalist teams will present their STEM projects at Samsung 837 and at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York City. Three of the teams will be named National Winners in the contest and take home grand prizes of $100,000 in Samsung technology and classroom supplies for their schools.

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RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J. – April 2, 2019 – Samsung Electronics America, Inc. announced today the three grand prize national winners in the ninth annual $2 million* Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest – a national competition that challenges public school students in grades 6 through 12 to use STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills to address real-world problems.

Owensville High School in Owensville, Mo.; Holly Grove Middle School in Holly Springs, N.C.; and Deep Creek Middle School in Chesapeake, Va. were named the three national winners for their respective efforts to confront school safety, pedestrian fatalities and healthcare access using STEM. The winners were announced today after students presented their projects to a panel of judges at the National Finalist Pitch Event this week in New York City.  Each school will receive $100,000* in technology and classroom supplies to meet the needs of their students such as Samsung Flips, Samsung Chromebooks, 3-D printers, tablets, microscopes, lab materials, and more. 

“This year’s national winners were truly impressive not only because of the passion and curiosity they have for solving critical community issues, but also because each school’s innovation represents a tangible solution capable of achieving measurable community impact,” said Ann Woo, Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship, Samsung Electronics America. “We at Samsung are committed to elevating STEM learning because year after year, with the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest, we witness how it inspires students to explore their future potential as engineers, designers, mathematicians, software developers and more.” 

The national winners and their STEM projects are:

Owensville High School – Owensville, Mo.

With school shootings on the rise, students at Owensville High School designed a simple and secure door lock to help keep students and teachers safe in the event an armed intruder were to gain access to the building. Because traditional door locks can be quickly dismantled by a firearm, Owensville High students designed, modeled and created a steel lock that cannot be easily disengaged from outside of the classroom. Once installed on the interior of a door, the one-piece lock can be easily and quickly put into place to prevent an intruder from entering and attacking students and teachers. 

View Owensville High School’s project video: 

Holly Grove Middle School – Holly Springs, N.C.  

Nationally, 88 percent of school bus drivers have reported cars illegally passing stopped school buses, causing student injuries and fatalities every year. In North Carolina alone, there are approximately 300 illegal passes reported each day. After a classmate was almost hit by a car, students at Holly Grove Middle School were inspired to take action. Research and consultation with transportation officials told them that traditional bus stop signs were not working. So, the students created a Smart School Bus Stop Sign and bus sensor to alert drivers of an approaching bus before it even arrives. Approximately 400 feet before reaching the stop, the Smart Stop Sign will change colors, indicating to drivers that they must slow down and stop. The students’ invention was so successful in testing that they’re working with city officials to install Smart Stop Signs at the locations where the most violations have occurred. 

Holly Grove Middle School was also named this year’s Community Choice Winner for generating the most public votes online. As the Community Choice Winner, the students have won an additional $10,000* in technology for their school. 

View Holly Grove Middle School’s project video:

Deep Creek Middle School – Chesapeake, Va. 

Studies show 25 percent of American school-aged children have undiagnosed eye problems, which can impact learning and ultimately their academic success. Many of these students continue to go undiagnosed due to the high cost of vision exams and prescription eyeglasses. The students at Deep Creek Middle School developed a mobile app and website to match their fellow students with poor visions with free exams and donated prescription eye glasses. Since launching their app, every student at Deep Creek Middle School who needs glasses has received them or soon will receive them, and the students are working to expand the service to other local schools. 

View Deep Creek Middle School’s project video:

After submitting project ideas last October, the three national winners were selected from thousands of schools nationwide and progressed throughout various stages of the contest and project development. They were selected as one of 250 state finalists (five per state) in November, then one of 50 state winners in January, then one of 10 national finalists in March, and ultimately, a 2019 national grand prize winner.

The three national winners will be honored at a luncheon in Washington, D.C. the first week of May and will also have the opportunity to meet with and present their projects to their respective congressional representatives.

The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest was created to encourage innovation while addressing the technology gap in classrooms across the country. Since its inception in 2010, Samsung has provided more than $25 million in technology to thousands of public schools in the United States. Over the past nine years, Samsung has received thousands of entries for the competition, empowering youth to problem-solve and create with the support of their teachers, peers, schools and communities at large.

To learn more about the contest and this year’s winners, please visit: www.samsung.com/solve.

*Estimated Retail Value

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“Grateful doesn’t begin to cover how

we feel about being here,” said Kevin Lay, teacher to a team of three high schoolers from Missouri’s Owensville High School who were about to pitch their potentially life-saving technology to a panel of judges in New York City in a bid to win $100,000 in Samsung technology for their school.

It was their first visit to NYC, and two out of three team members were fresh off their first-ever airplane ride because they’d made it to the final round of the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest, which challenges 6th through 12th graders in public schools to solve a problem in their community using Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Paige T., Jonah H. and Trey F. were calmly waiting to go before cameras and a big, live audience to present their answer to reinforcing school safety – a prototype of their “intruder lock” concept. It’s a simple-to-use door lock that quickly secures a classroom in the event an armed intruder were to gain entry. Once installed on the interior of a door, the one-piece lock can be easily and quickly put into place to prevent an intruder from entering.

“These kids are going to make change in the world,” Lay said, on the sidelines of the pitch event. The 10 National Finalist teams had already won $50,000 each in Samsung technology and supplies for their schools – items like Samsung Chromebooks and tablets, 3D printers and more — essential tools in today’s classroom and in the world of work.

“They care about creating a legacy – they want to leave something behind,” Lay emphasized.

The three students took the stage. Paige T., Owensville’s project leader, took the mic. “We wanted to create a safe learning environment for students,” she said, presenting the deceptively small pair of metal brackets (easily installed into a door and its frame) and the little piece of metal that connects the two and locks the door.

“If you can save precious moments or seconds with this lock, that’s all it could take to potentially save lives,” Jonah H. said.

The three young scientists’ efforts to tackle a pressing issue facing schools across the nation earned them a Solve for Tomorrow grand prize and they’ve since returned home as local heroes.

Sixth-graders from North Carolina also nabbed one of three grand prizes for their smart school bus stop sign, which alerts drivers to an oncoming school bus well before it arrives to help prevent pedestrian accidents.

Making their final pitch to the judges at Samsung 837, the company’s marketing center of excellence, Holly Grove Middle School team members Evan K., Reanna R. and Boston H. explained how their smart sign was built to reduce the stop-arm violations that can cause fatal pedestrian accidents around school buses. The students reported a limited trial locally in Holly Springs, NC resulted in fewer stop-arm violations in precisely the hot spots where there had previously been the most.

That’s because the 19-member Holly Grove team equipped the sign with bright lights that shine yellow when a bus is 400 feet away from the sign, flash yellow when the bus is at 200 feet and shine red when the bus is 100 feet away, triggered by an accompanying mobile application the school bus driver has that communicates with the sign. Team teacher Debbie Schelin explained that because the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest specifically challenges students and their teachers to address a local community issue and engage local experts to refine the STEM project, the Holly Grove Middle School team met with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, school board officials and local law enforcement, during their design process.

Schelin described a journey of learning STEM skills and self-discovery that no team member could have predicted.

“Every inch of the way has been healthy and positive for them,” she said. “And it’s reignited my passion for teaching.”

The contest strengthened students’ interest in STEM and so much more, she said.

“I’ve noticed more confidence in themselves, in who they are, what they can become and the change they can make in the world.”

“It’s just been incredible,” Evan K. said after the win. Even though the New York Samsung experience was different from anything he’s ever known, this 6^th grader had it all in perspective.

“I think we’ll probably put some of the prize into starting a STEM program at our school,” he added.

Rounding out the grand prize winners was the team from Deep Creek Middle School, in Chesapeake, VA, for their website and app that matches students in need and who have poor vision with free eye exams and prescription glasses.

“A lot of kids in our school have trouble seeing in class, but they can’t get glasses because they’re not financially stable,” said Olivia L., making her pitch to the judges.

Beyond creating the technology, students also arranged for countless glasses donations and phoned optometrists in their area to ask for donated services. The response was overwhelmingly positive. Their project, “Sight for Tomorrow,” is already working in their own school: Every Deep Creek student who needs glasses either has them now or is on their way to receiving them, and the team hopes to implement it district-wide.

With the grand-prize win, they’re setting their sights even higher.

“Now we have a chance to expand the program and help even more kids,” said team teacher Paula Labbe. The students also hope their design can be used nationwide.

“This was my first STEM experience. We didn’t know how to make an app or a website, so we figured it out as we went along,” said team member Olivia L., who wants to become an obstetrician. “But I never thought we’d get to New York! It’s been pretty exciting.”

Teammate Hunter J. said the journey was “surreal.”

“Something that started so small materialized into winning a national contest,” he marveled, moments after learning Team Deep Creek had won.

In between the pitch event at Samsung 837, and the glittering awards gala and STEM fair at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, the National Finalist teams’ schedule was packed. They met with start-up entrepreneurs at Samsung NEXT, where they got an overview of how to take their projects to the next level.

“The workshops focused on the business side of STEM, and it showed us that we can get this out there,” said Jonah H., of Owensville High School.

After a whirlwind tour of New York City the following morning atop an open double-decker bus, the 10 teams made their way to the legendary aircraft carrier Intrepid for a Samsung STEM fair, where they fielded deeper questions from attendees while exhibiting their projects.

Owensville students, for example, explained how their project was as much an exercise in psychology as it was in technology. Locking the door can make students and teacher feel safer and more in control of their lives in a dire situation, while the tech itself disrupts an armed intruder’s plan and disorients precisely when it could make all the difference.

In 10 short weeks, the 10 Samsung Solve for Tomorrow National Finalist teams truly grew – as scientists, as students and as citizens. That’s what project-based STEM learning is all about, and that’s why Samsung is committed to the movement.

“The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest changes a lot of students’ lives,” said Owensville team teacher Kevin Lay, adding, “But because of this experience I know that I’m a changed teacher.”

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Students and teachers from the 2019 Samsung Solve for Tomorrow champion teams, Owensville High School in Missouri, Holly Grove Middle School in North Carolina and Deep Creek Middle School in Virginia, met with their Congressional representatives and showcased their STEM innovation prototypes May 1 – 2, 2019 in Washington D.C. Each team was awarded a Grand Prize of $100,000 in Samsung technology and supplies for their school.

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“It’s exciting and surprising that just from our small school project, we got to meet congresswomen and congressmen and senators,” said Holly Grove Middle School student Buysimi A., as he met his home state’s senior senator, Richard Burr (R-NC), on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. Buysimi and two of his Samsung Solve for Tomorrow teammates were in Washington, D.C. to promote education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as one of the three Grand Prize-winning school teams in the national STEM contest, which challenges public school students in grades 6 through 12 to solve a problem in their community using STEM.

“And we brought $110,000 in technology back to our school,” Buysimi said. “A lot of surprising things have happened!” Each winning team won $100,000 in Samsung technology and school supplies for their school and Holly Grove Middle School was awarded an extra $10,000 in Samsung technology for winning the contest’s community choice award.

The sixth graders from Holly Springs, NC designed a smart school bus stop sign, which alerts drivers before a school bus arrives and reduces the number of pedestrian accidents. Their win was announced on April 2 on April 2. One week later, U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN) and Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA) introduced legislation that could put the Holly Grove team’s stop sign on the map.

So on May 1, as all three Solve for Tomorrow champion teams went to Congress to meet their representatives in the House and Senate and show them their STEM project prototypes, the 12-year-old North Carolina student scientists also sat down with the Indiana congresswoman to discuss her bill aimed at eliminating deadly pedestrian accidents around school buses, as well as the kids’ inventive technology.

“These students have found a way to create change, one step at a time,” said Ann Woo, Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics America, during the meeting with Walorski in the Cannon House Office Building, just steps from the Capitol Dome. The STOP at School Buses Act of 2019 aims to do just that, through research and implementation of safety measures and prevention laws and by boosting safety technology and driver education.

“The timing of the legislation is synchronous with what the students are doing, and that’s because it’s an important issue,” Woo said. “We’re hopeful the students will feel a unique sense of empowerment from both their hard work and the visibility they’ve gained for such an important issue that affects not only their community but also so many others.”

Across the Capitol, the team of eighth-grade students from Deep Creek Middle School, in Chesapeake, VA, got a special introduction to Washington when they met with Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), in the majestic, marble-lined Russell Senate Office Building. Kaine, who was presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s running mate in 2016, discussed the spark for Deep Creek’s project, “Sight for Tomorrow,” a web application and database that matches low-income students who have poor vision students with free eye exams and prescription glasses.

“We’re working with the school district to get school nurses involved and expand Sight for Tomorrow to all our schools,” said team teacher Paula Labbe. Student Olivia L., said they’ve already implemented the program in one elementary school, and the student participants in their own middle school are all experiencing improved grades, confidence and behavior now that they have the prescription glasses they needed.

The D.C. trip opened students’ eyes not only to government in action but also to career options they might never have considered. Lauren Marshall, legislative assistant for education policy to Virginia Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), told the students from Deep Creek Middle School about how her college education opened doors to political internships that ultimately led to her position as a staff member in Warner’s office. The students’ whirlwind tour of the nation’s capital also took them to a monumental art installation by sculptor Alexander Calder in the atrium of the Hart Senate Office Building, where they paused for some team photos before dashing off to their next appointment on Capitol Hill.

“I would never have imagined myself as an eighth grader talking about our project with senators in Washington,” said Olivia. “It’s exciting!

Meanwhile, in the famed Capitol rotunda, at the very center of the U.S. Capitol, the Solve for Tomorrow winning team from Owensville High School, in Owensville, Missouri, was on a private tour guided by Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO). During the team’s day in Washington, Hawley and Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) each examined the team’s innovative yet simple metal intruder lock, designed by the group to be easily installed on classroom doors and help gain precious seconds for students and teacher to hide or escape in the event an armed intruder enters a school.

On the House side of the Capitol, the Owensville teens sat down with the congressman from their own district, Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO-3).

“As a teacher, it’s not just about teaching your students science, technology, engineering and math. It’s about seeing your students work through their failures themselves. That’s something you can’t simulate in a textbook,” said Kevin Lay, the Owensville students’ teacher.

Congressman Luetkemeyer agreed. “It’s a real-world application,” he said. “Pretty nifty.”

The Missouri lawmaker queried the students about technical details of the design, such as strength testing, and was beaming with pride about their accomplishments. “Through your efforts, you have become examples to all other students,” Luetkemeyer said.

Following the teams’ congressional visits they showcased their projects at the Consumer Technology Association’s CES on the Hill event and were recognized at a luncheon held in their honor with guest speakers Kris Brown, Deputy Associate Administrator of STEM Engagement at NASA and Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC-5) as well as a congratulatory video message sent to the students from Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA-3).

“I was thrilled to be a part of the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow celebration. The students from Holly Grove Middle School, Owensville High School and Deep Creek Middle School have done amazing work that has made an impact,” said Brown. “These students are STEM superstars! Through their projects, they have discovered the power of STEM in creating possibilities that make a difference in people’s lives. Using STEM to enable powerful efforts that benefit society and our communities is vitally important as we move forward into the future.”

In her remarks, Dr. Foxx emphasized the need for more schools to teach STEM subjects nationwide and thanked Samsung for making STEM a priority. The congresswoman called public-private partnerships like Samsung Solve for Tomorrow a “commonsense solution to develop STEM education around the country,” adding “What a pleasure to meet such brilliant students from all three schools today… The fact that you’re all here shows your commitment to making the American workforce – and more importantly, the American worker – stronger for the future.”

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Evolving its commitment to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. this summer launched the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Teacher Academy, with a weeklong professional development practicum held in San Jose, CA. Nearly 40 Solve for Tomorrow alumni teachers from 35 states attended, participating in hands-on problem-based learning activities, diversity and inclusion training in STEM and an externship experience at Samsung Research America and Samsung Semiconductor U.S. to learn about STEM career pathways for their students.

“Samsung understands why Solve for Tomorrow alumni teachers are excited about teaching real, genuine STEM by pulling away from that textbook, because the real world doesn’t operate step-by-step,” said Harry Preston, a Teacher Academy participant and 7th and 8th grade science teacher at James McHenry Elementary/Middle School, in Baltimore, MD. “Samsung took their pedagogical cue from the Solve for Tomorrow contest in creating the Teacher Academy. They know that problem-based learning cultivates crucial professional skill sets for both students and teachers.”

The Solve for Tomorrow Teacher Academy, a new initiative and off-shoot of Samsung Electronics America’s national Solve for Tomorrow STEM contest for 6th through 12th graders, is intended to provide a long-term collaboration and professional development platform specifically for the unsung hero-teachers who empower and mentor school-aged scientists.

“After witnessing the incredible innovative thinking that our Solve for Tomorrow alumni teachers have inspired in our student contestants, it was a natural evolution of the program to develop a curriculum for teachers’ professional development that would support them in being champions of STEM education in their school districts,” said Ann Woo, Sr. Director of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics America. “After all, these are the teachers who have incidentally helped Samsung create the legacy of Solve of Tomorrow and who will continue to inspire our future workforce for years to come.”

Teachers Becoming Students of STEM

The inaugural teacher academy in July brought together teachers who have each steered a team of their students to become state finalists, national finalists or national winners of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, a public-school contest that challenges 6th through 12th graders to solve a problem in their community using STEM skills. Teachers were challenged with using STEM to create innovative solutions for combatting San Jose’s youth homelessness problem, guided by non-profit partner mindSpark Learning, and non-profit Techbridge Girls, which facilitated a workshop to deepen teachers’ understanding about roles of identity and gender in STEM.

“Our group’s idea was to take an existing homeless shelter, rebrand and revamp it as a youth community center, with gamified solutions and tech resources that would make it make more sense for the kids,” said Preston who’s professional passion is getting youth of color involved in STEM, something he accomplishes as a teacher and as a leader of after-school and summer-camp STEM programming for kids in his school’s inner-city neighborhood.

Preston says his students and campers have gone on to careers in healthcare, software design, business and even fashion, having flourished in a unique atmosphere of discovery and problem-based learning that Preston created. He is just one example of the type of teacher and approach to STEM education Samsung has continued to proliferate with its Solve for Tomorrow legacy.

“These teachers were already doing amazing things, but they typically don’t get the recognition or a high level of support they deserve,” said Michele Mosa, Senior Manager of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics America. “We provided them with a professional development roadmap and a critical problem that needed solving, and they wowed us by devising STEM-based solutions overnight. They inspired each other, and they inspired us.”

That ripple effect has since continued beyond the week spent together in San Jose, Preston said, not only helping to foster lifelong friendships and openness to collaborate despite working in different school systems, but also broadcasted the week’s themes and discussions farther afield as teachers brought the inspiration back home.

“[Solve for Tomorrow] Teacher Academy provides educators with a concrete path to follow as we build real career-ready skills,” explained Mary Cabral, language arts teacher at Mt. Hope High School in Bristol, RI and a Solve for Tomorrow State Winner during the 2018-2019 contest year. “All across America, the charge is to prepare students for the 21st century.”

All participants were assigned Professional Learning Communities, through which they will be working together over the next year in order to collaborate online and support one another throughout the academic year.

“The diversity training was eye-opening for me, particularly around gender, sexual identity and hidden bias,” Preston said. “I thought we needed to bring more of this training to teachers in my district, so I brought it to my union and we’ve voted to create a new section on equality and inclusivity.”

Cassie Banka, an engineering teacher at Goddard High School, in Goddard, KS, whose 2018-2019 Solve team was one of 10 national finalists, said the Solve for Tomorrow Teacher Academy electrified participants.

“It was so energizing and empowering to learn from teachers who are transforming education all over the country, and we’ll continue to grow together throughout the coming year through collaboration using mindSpark’s ignite platform as we promote problem-based learning opportunities in our areas,” Banka said. “Meanwhile, I’ve got these strategic tools and fresh resources to bring to the teachers I work with, so we can continue that positive feedback loop.”

Kevin Lay, a science teacher at Owensville High School in Owensville, MO, whose students won $100,000 in Samsung technology for their school through the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest in April, agrees.

“The mindSpark learning team and Samsung created a unique set of opportunities for us. Some of the principles presented were definitely outside our comfort zones, but still we were able to apply them to our own settings, within our own schools and districts, and that was a powerful learning experience that will have a real impact on the many thousands of students that we all serve,” said Lay.

A Long-Term Investment in Learning

For Samsung, the investment in teachers of STEM is just a new chapter in the Solve for Tomorrow legacy as the company prepares to launch, in September, the application phase of this year’s contest, which also marks the program’s 10th anniversary.

“For nine years we’ve had the privilege of seeing students from all over the nation get involved in their communities with STEM projects that make a positive impact on difficult societal and environmental issues,” explained Woo. “We can’t wait to share what we have in store for this year’s contest, welcome new applicants and see the new ideas and inspiration that result from building a strong network of STEM enthusiasts and educators.”

This cohort of 38 teachers will continue to collaborate over the next 3 years through annual Teacher Academy events and through mindSpark’s ignite platform, which links students and teachers all over the U.S.

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By Ann Woo, Senior Director, Corporate Citizenship, Samsung Electronics America

Samsung Electronics’ pathway to success is a result of pioneering innovation and defying the impossible through the advancement of technology for 50 years. From the beginning, the company identified the integral role that science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) plays in our daily lives – not just as the creator of products – from semiconductors to smartphones – and services – like 5G and connected IoT, but also as an employer and a corporate citizen. Samsung also recognized that it wanted to take an active and meaningful role in boosting interest and proficiency in STEM to fuel the creation of a skilled workforce and to create innovative thinkers and makers that are actively engaged in the direction of the modern world.

In the U.S., there is a supply and demand mismatch when it comes to STEM fields. Employment in STEM occupations grew much faster than non-STEM over the last decade (24.4 percent versus 4.0 percent), and STEM occupations are projected to grow by 8.9 percent from 2014 to 2024, compared to 6.4 percent growth for non-STEM occupations, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s “STEM Jobs: 2017 Update.”

To directly address this issue, Samsung Electronics America is bridging gaps and readying a workforce by making STEM education a prominent part of its corporate agenda via its Solve for Tomorrow (SFT) program. The nationwide competition that challenges public school students in grades 6-12 to showcase how STEM can be applied to help improve their community is now entering its tenth year and is effectively creating a viable talent pipeline to fill the growing STEM workforce needs.

STEM is Fundamental

Taking a wider lens, STEM is important because it pervades every part of our lives. We exercise our STEM muscles when managing our finances and we experience STEM when streaming a TV series with breathtaking special effects. Emerging technologies, like 5G, AI, IoT and robotics, are changing the way we live, work, play and engage with one another. Moreover, scientific and technological advances increasingly dominate the national and global discourse, from environmental debates on the climate crisis and the need to update aging infrastructure to developing sustainable strategies for the food industry and researching cures for cancer.

Having the STEM literacy to understand the discourse surrounding these tech-driven changes and national and global issues is now as fundamentally important as learning to read and write. That’s why it’s imperative that our education system reflect these evolving needs. By incorporating STEM into the curriculum, we can ensure that we’re paving the way for a brighter future.

Beyond the Skills Gap

The U.S. Department of Education cites that at least 20 percent of U.S. jobs require a high level of knowledge in any one STEM field. But even outside of the traditional STEM job sector, there is a need for STEM competencies and skills. Data shows that the set of core cognitive knowledge, skills, and abilities that are associated with a STEM education are in demand in nearly all job sectors and occupations.

STEM skills are key to a 21st century workforce and taking approaches to close the gap through education is vital. But “skills” is not the only gap that exists. It’s time for a tectonic shift in expanding STEM learning and workforce opportunities to all, therefore closing the gender, racial and socioeconomic gaps as well.

The “Solve for Tomorrow” Journey

SFT is a multi-dimensional, problem-based learning initiative that fosters critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills, while promoting the positive impact young minds can have locally and beyond. Every year, students dive into the competition with their teachers to unearth and solve salient societal issues. What’s compelling is that as critical issues affecting society evolve, so too has the SFT program. In recent years, SFT students have used STEM to tackle emerging challenges of a new decade. For instance, they’ve taken on such complex issues as:

• School Safety: Owensville High School students in Owensville, Mo. designed a secure door lock to help keep students and teachers safe in the event an armed intruder were to gain access to the building.
• The Opioid Epidemic: Because local Ashland, KY first responders called to the scene of a drug overdose are only armed with rubber gloves and tongs, Ashland Middle School students created a device to safely pick up and dispose of hypodermic needles.
• Concussion Detection in Sports: After a classmate suffered a concussion during football season, students at Cavallini Middle School in Upper Saddle River, N.J. developed sensors for football helmets to identify potential concussions and help prevent any further brain injury through early detection.

And since teachers from all over the U.S. are leveraging SFT to raise students’ interest in STEM subjects and helping them harness STEM as a catalyst for change, Samsung has broadened its effective SFT STEMEd initiative to focus on the teachers themselves. Dubbed Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Teacher Academy, Samsung launched its inaugural week-long program earlier this summer, offering teachers a unique professional development experience designed to build and sustain a culture of STEM teaching and learning.

Each year, the competition inspires confidence in a new generation of students, priming their minds for jobs in a rapidly changing world, and providing them with the tools they need to pursue a career in STEM. And with each year, the Samsung SFT team members are more and more impressed by the imaginative and astute talents of all the participating students and teachers.

The Next Decade

Samsung’s commitment to building a future STEM workforce, bridging STEM and social impact and empowering youth has set the foundation for a truly successful SFT program. Since its inception in 2010, Samsung has provided more than $15 million in Samsung technology and school supplies to more than 2,200 public schools across the 50 United States. Over the past nine years, the company has received more than 20,000 entries for the competition, inspiring students to problem-solve and create.

Samsung is deeply humbled by and appreciative of the decade-long journey with educators, students, and communities that has grown into a robust network of STEM enthusiasts and change makers. As we embark on the next decade, we want to continue to build an enduring legacy and championing a more innovative and inclusive approach to STEM learning to collectively build a more capable future workforce.

The 10^th year of the SFT competition is, just like the school year, back in session! Visit http://www.samsung.com/us/solvefortomorrow to start an application.

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For the 10^th consecutive year, Samsung today launched the annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest, which challenges 6^th – 12^th grade public school students and teachers to use STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) to address issues in their communities. The 2019-2020 contest kicked off this morning at an event featuring U.S. Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios, members of Congress, local education leaders and past Samsung Solve for Tomorrow participants where they discussed the role of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education in the nation today. Public school teachers can apply for this year’s program now through October 23, 2019.

“The issues communities face today look a little different than when we first launched the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest 10 years ago, but year after year, students and teachers rose to the challenge, tackling complex issues from climate change and disaster recovery, to the opioid crisis and school safety,” said Ann Woo, Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics America. “As we celebrate this 10-year milestone, we reflect on how Solve for Tomorrow has transformed from an environment-focused contest into a project-based learning initiative that fosters critical thinking and creative problem solving among thousands of students across the country. We look forward to seeing how students will continue to meet the emerging challenges of a new decade.”

The kick-off event featured a keynote address from Kratsios, who discussed the country’s vision for STEM education in America and preparing the STEM workforce of the future. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Deb Fischer (R-NE) as well as Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ-11) and Congressman Ralph Norman (R-SC-5) also participated in a panel discussion at the event focused on how to further spark interest in STEM education and current STEM initiatives within key states.

“It was great to join Senator Rosen and Samsung leadership for a bipartisan conversation on the importance of STEM education in this country. With programs like the Solve for Tomorrow Contest, we can encourage more students in Nebraska and across the country to take an interest in these subject areas and solve problems in their communities through science and technology,” said Senator Deb Fischer. “I will continue to work across the aisle to expand access to STEM education opportunities that will deliver a brighter future for our children.”

Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill added, “STEM education is critical to building our innovation economy. I have met incredible students from across New Jersey who are ready to tackle some of our greatest challenges based on a strong foundation in STEM. As a member of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, I am committed to helping our students prepare for the jobs of tomorrow and supporting opportunities for STEM education.”

In celebration of the 10^th anniversary, Samsung is increasing the prize pool by $1 million – awarding $3 million* in technology and supplies to classrooms as they advance throughout the contest. Samsung is also increasing the total number of schools awarded and ensuring schools in every state are recognized and receive much needed learning technology for their classrooms. Details of this year’s contest process:

• 300 state finalist schools from the pool of applicants will be awarded a Samsung tablet for their classroom. From there, each teacher will submit an activity plan detailing the program execution.
• 100 state winner schools will advance in the contest and receive $15,000 in technology and supplies as well as a video kit to help showcase their project.
• 20 national finalist schools will be selected to travel to the final event where they will present their project to a panel of judges. For achieving national finalist status, 15 of these schools will be awarded $50,000 in technology and supplies while the remaining five will be named national grand prize winners. Public voting will also determine one Community Choice winner, who will be eligible to win an additional $10,000 in Samsung technology.
• Five national grand prize-winning schools will each receive $100,000 in classroom technology and supplies.

While STEM is the core classroom discipline, Solve for Tomorrow fosters skills development that goes far beyond, including: critical thinking, problem solving, agile iteration, civic engagement and team collaboration. Solve for Tomorrow aims to improve student outcomes and advocate for teachers while uniting communities. In addition to the contest, Samsung also offers professional development opportunities for teachers to help them grow their skills and assist in the classroom.

“I believe that problem-based learning has to be the future foundation of the American educational system. Modern technology has placed limitless knowledge and reason at our fingertips,” said John Leistner, Teacher at Ashland Middle School, 2018 National Winner. “It is our challenge as educators to utilize this technology as we transition our students beyond the simple memorization of facts or procedures and teach them how to authentically apply what they’ve learned to solve real-world problems.”

For the past decade, Samsung has provided nearly $15 million in technology and supplies to public schools in the United States. Since the contest’s inception, the number of participating schools has reached nearly 20,000, empowering thousands to positively think about how to impact their local communities with STEM, and representing 20,000 local issues being tackled, ranging from traffic and school safety to access to healthcare and much more.

*$3 million prize is based on an estimated retail value.

**Not open to the general public: No purchase necessary to enter or win. Open to employees at eligible schools in the fifty (50) United States/DC twenty one (21) years of age or older. To enter/official rules: visit www.Samsung.com/Solve to complete the application form.

The post appeared first on Samsung US Newsroom.

Student scientists joined U.S. lawmakers on Capitol Hill to kick off the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest’s 10th year, calling on 6th to 12th graders in public schools to solve a pressing problem in their community using science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Celebrating a decade of student-led progress in STEM, past contest winners, future contestants and their inspiring teachers mingled with members of the U.S. House and Senate from both parties, as well as the top White House official for technology, Michael Kratsios, at Samsung Electronics America’s Washington D.C. headquarters.

With a view of the U.S. Capitol’s dome, it was a fitting setting to launch the Solve for Tomorrow challenge to young engineers-in-training.

“If you’re looking for a way to engage with your community to make a real difference on issues like school safety, human health and climate change, this is a program that jumpstarts that engagement,” said Saad Amer, a Solve for Tomorrow 2011 national winner who is now an environmental scientist, activist and lobbyist and an advisor to the United Nations on global environmental justice.

“Working with Solve helped prepare me for the issues we’re seeing today on a national and global scale,” Amer continued.

Speaking on the sidelines of the kickoff event, Amer said the program’s interdisciplinary, problem-based learning approach offers unique opportunities for students to shine. “It validates their creativity and ideas and cultivates their ability to present well-designed, well-researched solutions from the ground up.”

Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE), who serves on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, said Samsung’s STEM contest provides the crucial spark that can lead to a meaningful career.

“If you can capture a child’s attention in any STEM field, there’s a greater chance that they’ll continue that interest throughout their lives,” Fischer said, speaking during a panel at the launch event.

Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), who in her previous career designed mainframe database systems, told the panel that her tech training prepared her for policy-making.

“I use my STEM background each and every day,” Rosen said. “As an engineer, you have to look at a system in its entirety.” Legislating requires the same thing, Rosen added.

Rosen and Fischer are sponsors of the bi-partisan Building Blocks of STEM Act, proposed STEM education legislation that would create National Science Foundation research grants to grow girls’ participation in computer science.

The contest “opened up a lot of opportunities” for student Kiana W., a 2018-2019 Solve for Tomorrow national finalist from Richland Two Institute of Innovation, in Columbia, South Carolina.  “Actually seeing where it can get you – seeing so many people involved in STEM – helps drive home the importance of STEM.” Kiana was joined at the launch by her science teacher, Kirstin Bullington.

Participation in the contest has a significant multiplier effect, according to Harry Preston, a 7th and 8th grade science teacher at James McHenry Elementary/Middle School, in Baltimore, MD, a state winner in the 2018-2019 contest year.

“These students become a beacon for other kids, showing them what’s possible,” Preston said. His professional passion is getting youth of color involved in STEM, which he accomplishes as a teacher and as a leader of after-school and summer-camp STEM programming for kids in his school’s inner-city neighborhood.

Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), also a panelist, said scientific, problem-based learning gives students tools to evolve with and understand the fast-changing world around them.

“For us to be the masters of technology, and not the servants to it, we need STEM to be at the center of education, and we need wide access [to it] such that every child, regardless of background, can live prosperous lives in our digital age,” Norman said.

Norman and his colleagues, who also included Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), spoke enthusiastically about boosting gender and racial diversity in STEM learning and careers, while the keynote speaker, U.S. Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios, said the White House shares those goals and concerns.

Speaking of the “importance of building a strong foundation of STEM literacy,” Kratsios said the White House is prioritizing diversity in STEM as well as apprenticeships and other training programs to equip the future workforce with the tech skills necessary for jobs “on the factory floor and in the halls of Congress.”

The post appeared first on Samsung US Newsroom.

UPDATE: DEADLINE EXTENDED until Sunday, October 27 at 11:59 p.m. ET

Teachers can now submit their STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) project idea to address a local issue in the $3 million Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest. Now in its 10^th year, this national competition asks 6^th through 12^th grade classrooms from every state to solve a challenge, showing students their own potential for positive impact in their world by using hands-on STEM skills.

Public school teachers from all 50 states and the District of Columbia are eligible to nominate their classrooms and open doors to new opportunities. The brief online entry form requires teachers to answer two simple questions: (1) what is the biggest problem, challenge or issue faced by your school community that you will tackle for your Solve for Tomorrow project, and (2) how can STEM be applied to address this problem, challenge or issue.

Past submissions have addressed issues ranging from school safety to pedestrian fatalities and healthcare access. Whatever the topic may be, it always starts with an idea. Details on how the project will be executed are not required at this phase.

For the 10^th annual Solve for Tomorrow contest, Samsung is increasing the prize pool by an additional $1 million, awarding a total of $3 million in technology and classroom materials, over each phase of the contest. Additionally, the contest is rewarding even more schools, increasing the pool to 300 total classrooms who have an opportunity at the grand prize. Details of this year’s contest process include:

• 300 state finalist schools from the pool of applicants will be awarded a Samsung tablet for their classroom. From there, each teacher will submit an activity plan detailing the program execution.
• 100 state winner schools will advance in the contest and receive $15,000 in technology and classroom materials as well as a video kit to help showcase their project.
• 20 national finalist schools will be selected to travel to the final event where they will present their project to a panel of judges. For achieving national finalist status, 15 of these schools will be awarded $50,000 in technology and classroom materials while the remaining five will be named national grand prize winners. Public voting will also determine one Community Choice winner, who will be eligible to win an additional $10,000 in Samsung technology.
• Five national grand prize-winning schools will each receive $100,000 in technology and classroom materials.

Since its inception in 2009, the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest has provided nearly $15 million in Samsung technology and supplies to public schools in the United States. To enter the contest, and for contest rules, please visit. The deadline to submit is 11:59 p.m. ET on October 27, 2019.

* $3 million prize is based on an estimated retail value.

** Not open to the general public: No purchase necessary to enter or win. Open to employees at eligible schools in the fifty (50) United States/DC twenty one (21) years of age or older. To enter/official rules: visit www.Samsung.com/Solve to complete the application form.

The post appeared first on Samsung US Newsroom.

In April 2019, Owensville High School was one of three teams that won $100,000 in Samsung technology and supplies for their school for inventing a STEM solution for a community problem as part of the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest. When the technology was finally delivered to the school and set up, teacher Kevin Lay shared a few fun videos showing just how much the tech prize has impacted Owensville classrooms since school has been back in session.

Q: After your team’s 2019 Samsung Solve for Tomorrow win of $100,000 in technology and supplies for your school, how did you determine the greatest need for the school or school district and then choose what to purchase?

Lay: Part of the determination of where our Samsung Prize package of $100,000 in technology and supplies would go, was about exploring the needs of our STEM students and preparing them to be college and career ready.  We also asked other teachers in other subjects and grade levels for some ideas on how they could implement STEM technology in their classrooms.  This led us to many different paths – and what we have called a “Share the Love” approach.  So when you visit the Owensville, MO school district, it’s easy to see that our Samsung technology reaches so many students and teachers in so many grade levels and subjects.  While a good amount of focus was on outfitting a High School STEM classroom with the technology, a lot of the technology and supplies were needed and utilized in many areas and classrooms to make an impact everywhere in our district.

Q: How have classrooms or curriculums changed as a result of having more technology available to Owensville staff and students?

Lay: The impact in classrooms, clubs, activities and extracurricular activities has been incredible! The students in our social studies/history classes now get virtual tours of the places and experiences that they teach in their classes through Samsung Gear VR and HMD Odyssey+ – Windows Mixed Reality Headsets. The Business/Marketing department get to prototype and concept ideas and designs on a new Samsung FlipBoard and collaboratively work using new Samsung Chromebook Pluses. Elementary and Middle school students (3rd – 8th grades) even have the opportunity to create 3D designs using their Samsung Chromebooks, share, present and modify their designs on a Samsung Flip, and then create an actual prototype using the new 3D printers. They even record the entire journey using the camera on the Chromebook Plus!

For the high school, the change in our classroom has transformed our approach to education.  The environment has completely changed.  Our classroom furniture (also purchased with some of the prize money) not only is more comfortable but promotes collaborative learning to a higher level!  When you walk into the class, you immediately get a great balance of coffee shop style yet efficient workspace that allows the students to be free to collaborate with their ideas and work as a team.  Each student studies, and records their progress on a Samsung Chromebook Plus.  This is a big deal because students now have the technology to solve problems in a variety of ways — not worksheets or paper packets.  Students can seamlessly integrate their Samsung technology from the Chromebooks, to the Samsung tablets they use, to the Galaxy S10 phones they use to record videos or take pictures for analysis of their labs or to create documentaries or video reports of their solutions to the problems they are facing. That’s a lot! But that’s not all.

As a teacher, I’ve eliminated the “front” and “back” of the room, and a teacher’s desk.  The workspace changes every day, and the classroom is centered around a display that we’ve affectionately named the “Samsung Edu-Tron.”  Think “Jumbo-Tron” but for a classroom.  It is four 58″ UHD TV’s that are centered and mounted on the ceiling.

The classroom space is now able to be utilized from wall to wall, and the middle of the room is functional and usable for presentations that either the teacher can give, or the students give.  The students can connect to the Edu-Tron, to give their presentations to the entire class using all four screens, or each part of the room (four) can practice their pitch or presentation by individually connecting to a screen for four different presentation practices at the same time.  This changes everything in the class!

We have really focused on problem-based learning principles and communication in our classroom.  This is preparing our students for so many facets in their future lives, including anyone on a college or career-ready path!  In our STEM classes, the addition of our Samsung tablets and Chromebook Pluses have allowed students to record their data by typing AND video recording!  Students now will turn in project videos that have been edited, and present their ideas and solutions to problems that they are being challenged with, in class. The addition of the Samsung Gear VR headsets has allowed our drone usage to utilize the first-person approach, while simultaneously connecting to a Samsung tablet or Samsung laptop for others to view/record or observe at the same time!

Q: What was the most fun part for you and your students of being able to provide so much updated technology for the benefit of teachers and students?

Lay: There were many fun parts that we had when the updated technology was arriving.  Here are some of them:

• When the students walked into a transformed classroom and understood the expectations that were set, they have risen to the challenge, and meet each one anticipating something new and exciting is about to happen.  That’s a pretty incredible feeling as a teacher, and one that’s so much fun to come to school every day – just waiting for it!
• One of the best parts is the giving!  In our rural school and community, technology is not handed out too often, especially in large amounts like this.  So when we received the technology and was able to give it to the teachers to utilize in their classrooms, their reactions and gratitude were so welcoming and filled our hearts with joy!
• Sharing the technology with the younger students and seeing their faces light up with joy, excitement, and anticipation!  When you’re a student or a teacher, leaving a legacy is one of the best things that you can do.  But when you are able to make a child excited about the future of their education – by showing them what they can look forward to, that’s a feeling that nothing else can match.

Q: How has Owensville High School and/or the community itself changed since your team’s Samsung Solve for Tomorrow win?

Lay: The realization that we are winners!  Our students that led our Samsung Solve for Tomorrow winning project to a National Championship have carved out a pathway that so many students now want to follow — ultimately they have created their own legacy.  Students in every grade level know that it’s possible that they can change the world with a solution to a problem that our community faces.  They know that a small rural school and a student from a city that almost no one has heard of can make a difference!  This has created a support system from our community that is incredibly amazing and caring about what exactly IS going on at Owensville High School.

Students want to be a part of something special and something that can change our community for the better.  It has helped us realize that students want to be agents of change for the betterment of our community, city, state, country, and world!

Our STEM classes have grown in size and our STEM II Class has doubled in size since our National Championship!  We already have a plan of a new extracurricular club being formed – the STEM club.  This club will utilize the thoughts and ideas of our STEM class and be an outlet for research and ideas that can create a solution to problems our community and surrounding areas face.

This opportunity and recognition have given our students a level of confidence that nothing has ever done for us before!  They expect to be challenged and embrace it now more than they have in the past.  The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow win has created an expectation in our classes that we have the ability to solve problems and we can do it at a high level, beyond the walls of our school!

Q: Would you encourage other teachers and students to participate in the contest and why?

Lay: I would do anything I can to encourage, promote and show everyone that the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest is worth every ounce of energy that you put into it.  Why?  The contest promotes your students and their passions like nothing else I’ve ever seen, do.  It gives them opportunity to really shine and to see the STEM process be validated on the highest level.  It’s one thing when a teacher tells a student that they can change the community around them. Samsung takes that idea that your students have, and gives them a platform to really show the world just how great our future leaders are.  As a teacher, there’s no better feeling than to see your students become empowered by a caring company like Samsung, and to see their confidence level exceed your expectations.

Students everywhere deserve the opportunity to show the world just how great they are, and that they are ready to solve problems that we face now, and tomorrow. Just remember, when you give them an opportunity like this, get out of the way and watch them thrive!

Public School teachers of grades 6 through 12 can apply to Samsung Solve for Tomorrow here. 

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