Sheffield, Alabama, pop. 8,894, may not be a hotbed of tech enterprise just yet, but that hasn’t stopped local science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teacher, Gina McCarley of Sheffield High School, from envisioning it, with the help of software developers from around the country.

That’s the idea behind a panel discussion on the “rural brain drain” at this year’s Samsung Developer Conference (SDC), an annual event held in Silicon Valley that brings together thousands of developers, creators, and technologists to explore the newest tech and imagine what’s possible in the future.

As economic and demographic shifts continue to favor urban areas the world over for establishing tech industry, rural communities are experiencing a loss of economic opportunity and a continuous migration of STEM-educated young locals looking for knowledge-based work in urban areas with more opportunities and better infrastructure.

But a pair of computer science teachers from small-town America and former winners of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, are speaking out on what could help reverse this trend. At SDC last week, they told developers how forging a connection with teachers and students in a rural American community can be critical to helping develop STEM educational and experiential work opportunities that can empower the next generation of tech professionals, stemming the tide of the rural brain drain phenomena.

“As we celebrate the 10^th anniversary year of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, we continue to find new ways to continue our investment in classrooms and communities that have been impacted by contest participation, explained Ann Woo, Sr. Director of Corporate Citizenship for Samsung Electronics America. “SDC was an ideal platform for two of our most dedicated Solve for Tomorrow alumni teachers to highlight issues they work to improve every day and solicit support from the developer community who can help extend their impact on educating future generations.”

Joining Woo on stage for the panel discussion, “Reversing the Rural Brain Drain,” were Maureen Pollitz, educator at Nicholson Elementary School, in Picayune, Mississippi and McCarley, computer science and business education teacher at Sheffield High School in Alabama. The two are both past national winners of the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow national STEM contest.

Pollitz said software developers can play a crucial role in inspiring, informing and guiding rural STEM students – and in advocating for them and for computer science education, even from afar.

McCarley said STEM teachers feel the effects of the brain drain in their small communities especially keenly as their best and brightest graduates typically must leave the area for STEM-career-ready opportunities.

“As teachers, we can advocate for children at the school board level and in Silicon Valley,”McCarley said. She said educators must communicate to school administrators how essential computer science education is for all kinds of jobs today. And she said teachers can also help bring employers into the conversation so that promising, skilled STEM jobs can become a more frequent reality in rural America.

“Technology itself has made tech jobs portable, so it’s doable,” McCarley said.

The two teachers’ call-to-action for developers after making a connection with a rural community teacher included making a five-minute video via smartphone that describes a day in the life of a developer, sharing developers’ hiring stories and advice they wish they’d had in high school.

“Students have to see it to be it,” McCarley said, and noted that a video can have an outsized impact on class after class. Pollitz said developers can also find avenues with a rural community to sponsor student internships through their companies, offer a professional’s validation for a teacher’s tech proposal to a school board, and serve as an advisor to teachers on the latest trends in the tech industry as well as mentor students remotely.

While McCarley and Pollitz are rallying Silicon Valley to reach out to rural communities, there are one or two economic factors that could be working in their favor. The high cost of living and doing business in coastal tech hubs could encourage entrepreneurs, start-ups and even big employers to search for talent farther afield, where minimal infrastructure investment could set up remote employees or establish a physical presence in markets with lower barriers to entry.

“With STEM-educated kids from rural America, you’re getting a different perspective, which adds to the employee diversity that so many companies seek,” McCarley said.

The two teachers noted how student participation in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest can lead to greater personal investment in their rural areas because they’re solving problems in their own communities. With problem-based learning, the STEM education approach utilized in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest, students take ownership of their work and see first-hand its real-world impact, they both explained.

None of this will happen without the STEM teachers to grow the public school curricula and offerings and to guide and inspire students. And here again, Sheffield’s McCarley is leading the way. She was a national pilot teacher in a new Advanced Placement course, Computer Science Principles, which was the largest course launch in AP’s history. It ties together the biggest themes in computing, from algorithms and coding to the global impact of computing, and McCarley said it has sparked interest in STEM teaching in Alabama and elsewhere.

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Samsung Electronics America, Inc. today announced the 300 State Finalists in the annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest, a $3 million* nationwide competition that challenges students to creatively use STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills to address a community challenge. Celebrating its 10th anniversary this 2019-2020 school year, the competition fosters critical thinking and creative problem solving skills among thousands of students across the country as 6-12 grade classrooms are tasked with solving a challenge impacting their community.This year, teachers nationwide submitted creative and strategic proposals to solve current problems, such as environmental issues, reducing the carbon footprint, mental health, vaping and student safety. Throughout the next month, each of the 300 State Finalists will engage their community and conduct field visits to gain firsthand knowledge of the issue, evolving their initial proposals into a detailed project plan to be executed this school year.

“Since launching the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest a decade ago, we’ve seen students tackle some of the biggest issues facing their generation and this year is no different,” said Ann Woo, Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics America. “From suicide prevention to single use plastic alternatives, teachers and students are stepping up to creatively address these important issues head-on. We’re thrilled to congratulate the State Finalists of the 10th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest and look forward to seeing these STEM projects progress in the coming months.”

Selected from a pool of more than 2,000 entries nationwide, the 300 State Finalists will each receive a Samsung tablet for their classroom. Each State Finalist also has the opportunity to advance through future phases of the contest to win additional prizes and educational opportunities. The remaining phases of the competition include:

• 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 pitch event in the spring where they will present their project to a panel of judges. For achieving National Finalist status, schools will receive $50,000 in technology and classroom materials.
• Five National Grand Prize-winning schools will receive $100,000 in technology and classroom materials, and a trip to Washington, D.C. to present their projects to members of Congress.
• Public voting will also determine one Community Choice winner from the pool of National Finalists, who will be eligible to win an additional $10,000 in Samsung technology.

In celebration of the 10th year of Solve for Tomorrow, Samsung expanded the program to award more schools and provide more resources – including increasing the prize pool by $1 million. Previously, the contest awarded 250 State Finalists – five schools from each state. This year, 50 additional schools have been named State Finalists, with at least five schools recognized as State Finalists in each state.**

Schools from across the U.S., from Alaska to Florida, answered the call for submissions in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest, including submissions from several academies for young women as well as a specialty school for the deaf and blind.

Since its inception in 2010, the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest has awarded $15 million in Samsung technology and classroom materials to more than 2,200 public schools in the United States.

For a full list of state finalist schools, please visit www.samsung.com/solve or follow on Instagram @SolveForTomorrow. For official rules and judging criteria, click here.

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

**Includes all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Schools from Maryland and Washington, D.C. were eligible for the Maryland/D.C. State Finalist award.

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By David Steel, Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Samsung Electronics America

Last month I had the opportunity to visit Gering, Nebraska in the state’s Western Panhandle. Population: just over 8,000.

I first learned about this small Midwestern town in 2016, when a teacher and small group of students from Gering High School submitted their plans for a drone-powered, precision crop sprayer to the annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest, which asks students in 6^th – 12^th grades to solve a challenge in their community using science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

My colleagues and I immediately knew Justin Reinmuth and his students were onto something big. What we didn’t know at the time is Justin and his team of seven had planted a seed in the community that would grow legions of STEM-enthusiastic students, eyeing career paths in engineering, software development and the medical sciences. Their journey also created something less tangible and more lasting – the kind of goodwill and positive impact that can transform a community from within.

In the past three years, Gering High School has become the winningest school – out of 20,000 entries — in the decade-old Solve for Tomorrow competition. From their grand-prize-winning idea three years ago to building a water filter for washing machines to prevent microplastics from entering water sources in 2018 and their upgraded automatic wheelchair innovation in 2019, Gering High School students have virtually become a think tank for innovation and built a world-class STEM curriculum for future generations in the process.

The school now offers a variety of STEM classes to more than 140 students interested in learning these critical skills, became the first class-B school in Nebraska to offer a complete STEM career pathway and was awarded a $103,000 grant by the Nebraska governor for implementing a STEM curriculum in the Jr. High School. Just last year they also finished in the top 5 for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science.

During my visit, Justin told me perhaps one of the most enduring legacies of all the school’s accomplishments around STEM education in recent years is a STEM scholarship fund established in partnership with the University of Nebraska, using some of the Solve for Tomorrow money awarded in 2017.

But look past the recognition, the $220,000 in Samsung technology and classroom materials and the top-notch curriculum, and you will also see the enthusiastic support, throughout the community, for Justin’s and his colleagues’ efforts to provide what superintendent Bob Hastings calls “big opportunity” for the students in Gering Public Schools. Administrators, Gering Mayor Tony Kaufman, U.S. Congressman Adrian Smith (also a Gering High School alumnus) and many more members of the community were on hand during my visit to join a rally in celebration of the students’ accomplishments in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow program.

My visit to Gering showed me first-hand that what we set out to do 10 years ago with the simple idea that fuels success in Solve for Tomorrow — motivating students to apply STEM skills to tackle real problems in their local communities — has helped make learning come alive for so many through teamwork, collaboration, structuring projects, civic engagement and sparking critical thinking.

At Samsung, we can only be as successful as the communities around us. It’s a responsibility we take very seriously. Through our products and our commitment to corporate citizenship and community outreach, we’re proud and humbled to play even one small part in enabling education of future generations in Gering, Nebraska and beyond.

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by Kelvin Beachum, NFL offensive tackle for the New York Jets

Growing up, it’s always a dream to hear your name called on NFL Draft night. While the goal as a competitor in any sport is to be acknowledged as valuable on the field of play, I have always felt equally committed to earning MVP status off the field.

For me, a spirit of giving is a foundational principle that was ingrained in me since childhood. As a man of faith, father, son, and professional athlete, I feel a strong responsibility to speak up and take action for those who are underprivileged and those who are marginalized. My experiences have provided a feeling of gratitude toward society and compassion toward those who need help.

Education is vital in the success and development of an individual. With inequity in education across the country, it is essential to work toward offering access to resources and opportunities to all students so they can thrive.

This Giving Tuesday, as a part of the global generosity movement, I am partnering with the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow national STEM contest and DonorsChoose to help fund open projects in New York and New Jersey, taking a step toward ensuring every classroom in these areas have the tools and experiences they need for a well-rounded education.

DonorsChoose is a platform that allows individuals to donate directly to public school classroom projects. Educators from every corner of America create classroom project requests and donors can give any amount to the project that inspires them.

As an eight-year veteran in the NFL, I have played with multiple teams in various cities and worked to impact each community I join. DonorsChoose makes it easy for me to stay connected to my hometown, my home state, and the cities I’ve played in and continue to provide access and opportunity to students across the country.

After meeting with 100 Samsung employees today in New Jersey, they each received a $50 DonorsChoose gift card to help fund open projects to provide classroom resources and additional items for a total impact of at least $5,000. Teachers at 83% of public schools in America have posted projects on the platform, which allows for every donor to make an impact in classrooms across the country of significance to them. As an advocate for STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) education, I have created a campaign site and hand-selected projects within the STEAM principles in under-represented areas of New Jersey and New York for this event.

Education is an essential human virtue and a necessity of society. It is the foundation for a successful future, and the basis for establishing a good life. Our education system needs support to improve resource equity, ensuring that there is a fair distribution of resources, including money, effective teaching, student supplies and a challenging curriculum.

Something happens when we actively practice a spirit of gratitude and giving; it creates a ripple effect of kindness. I encourage everyone to consider giving back through education, today on Giving Tuesday, and throughout this holiday season, and thank both DonorsChoose and Samsung for providing the platforms they do that work to enable young people to reach their full potential.

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Samsung Electronics America, Inc. today announced the 100 State Winners in the 10^th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest– a $3 million* nationwide competition that challenges 6-12 grade students to develop solutions using STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills to ignite change in their communities. Each State Winner school will receive $15,000 in technology and classroom materials and will advance in the contest for the opportunity to win additional prizes and educational opportunities.

In honor of the contest’s 10^thanniversary, Samsung is awarding more schools and providing additional resources, including increasing the prize pool by $1 million. This year, twice as many classrooms are earning the title of State Winner with at least one school in each state** being recognized. Top teams in each state were selected for their outstanding activity plan proposals outlining how students will execute their project using STEM. This year, students and teachers identified issues that are personal to them and critical to their communities, ranging from water quality and recycling to mental health and bullying.

“Samsung is extremely proud of the evolution of the Solve for Tomorrow platform over the past 10 years: fueling students’ passion and curiosity to tackle issues that affect their communities in unexpected and creative ways,” said Ann Woo, Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics America. “Reading the innovative proposals students and teachers have put forth this year exemplifies what we know to be true for every student – that young minds have just as much to teach as they do to learn. Our guiding citizenship vision is ‘Enabling People,’ and we are thrilled to celebrate another year of empowering future innovators to achieve their full potential through STEM learning.”

Over the next two months, State Winners will develop their STEM prototypes and capture their progress using their new Samsung video kit – which includes a Galaxy Note10 smartphone and a Notebook 7 – in addition to their State Winner prize package. Each school will submit a three-minute video that showcases their project in action for a chance to be named one of 20 National Finalist schools in March.

The top 20 schools will travel to the National Finalist Pitch Event in the spring where they will present their project to a panel of judges. For achieving National Finalist status, schools will increase their prize to $50,000 in technology and classroom materials. Selected from this pool, five grand prize National Winner schools will receive a total of $100,000 in technology and classroom materials, and a trip to Washington, D.C. to present their projects to members of Congress. Additionally, one National Finalist will be selected via public voting as the Community Choice Winner and eligible to win an additional $10,000 in Samsung technology.

The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest was created to encourage innovation among young students while addressing the technology skills gap in classrooms across the country. Since its inception in 2010, the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest has awarded $15 million in Samsung technology and classroom materials to more than 2,200 public schools in the United States.

To learn more about the contest, please visit www.samsung.com/solve or follow on Instagram @SolveForTomorrow. For official rules and judging criteria, click here.

2019-2020 Solve for Tomorrow Contest State Winners 

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

**Includes all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Schools from Maryland and Washington, D.C. were eligible for the Maryland/D.C. State Winner award.

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“The feeling of winning the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition was unlike anything else I’d ever experienced. It was mind-blowing, incredible, world-opening. I felt like I could do anything,” said Benjamin Spiegel, a student of artificial intelligence at Brown University and a 2016 winner of the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest, which challenges public-school 6^th to 12^th graders to solve a pressing problem in their community using science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

His high school team, from Brooklyn Technical High School, in New York City, clinched a Solve for Tomorrow grand prize for developing a pedestrian safety app for the hearing- and vision-impaired.

Four years later, Spiegel is at an Ivy League university, preparing to defend his honors thesis in a major that he created, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computers and Minds, designed to be a holistic study of artificial intelligence.“I want to be one of the players in the artificial intelligence field, making advances and changing the world with technology,” Spiegel says. “And it all starts somewhere.”

It starts with learning to program, learning to collaborate with other people to build larger and larger projects, overcoming challenges, and being able to defend a project, according to Spiegel.

“These are the critical skills that Solve for Tomorrow helped me grow.”

Spiegel has already started to pay forward his incredible Solve experience by mentoring a 2019 team of young engineers from Deep Creek Middle School, in Chesapeake, Virginia, who also went on to win a grand prize. Their project, Sight for Tomorrow, consisted of an app to help connect under-resourced students with free eye exams and donated prescription glasses, should they need them.

“The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest is a great opportunity to make a huge impact in your community,” Spiegel said. “It shows Samsung cares about fostering a community to solve social problems with technology.”

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“The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest empowered me as a young woman to study engineering,” said Shannon Stever, an engineering student at Florida International University and a 2016 national finalist in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow STEM contest.

Shannon’s team from Northeast High School, in Oakland Park, Florida designed designed technology to detect rip currents and warn swimmers of nearby danger, which earned the team a berth in the 2016 Samsung Solve for Tomorrow final competition. While they didn’t walk away with a grand prize, they did win $50,000 in technology for their school and along with all the intangible gifts Stever said she acquired from participating in the contest – confidence, purpose, collaboration – she also seized on a surprise offer of a four year scholarship to Florida International University that the institution had extended to select students on the Solve for Tomorrow team.

“At first I felt out of place as one of only a few women in my department, but I know I’m here for a reason. I just hope that young girls feel inspired, encouraged and unafraid to go after what they love to do,” Stever said.

Now, she’s pivoting between her engineering classes and her internship at Eastern Engineering Group, which specializes in civil and structural engineering.

“Internships are great because they give you hands-on experience in the field, and you get to learn engineering outside of the classroom,” Stever said. She’s encouraged subsequent Solve for Tomorrow contestants, too. Stever was the alumni mentor to a 2019 Solve team from Owensville High School, in Owensville, Missouri, which went on to win a grand prize for its intruder lock, a simple-to-use door lock that quickly secures a classroom during a safety event at school.

Team Owensville, and Stever’s own Team Northeast, learned through participating in Solve for Tomorrow “what teamwork really means and what it takes to design and invent something from nothing,” she said.

“I’d wanted to work on global issues like poverty, hunger and clean water, and now I’ll do that with STEM. Engineering can really make a difference in people’s lives,” Stever said.

She applauded Samsung for helping students create innovative solutions for so many real-world issues. And she credits some incredible high school teachers with a mantra that has resonated with her ever since: Engineering is solving problems.

“Our lives are touched by engineering every day,” Stever said.

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Yolanda Vicente was happy to talk about the extraordinary young scientists she’s mentoring in the 2020 Samsung Solve for Tomorrow STEM contest, which challenges public school 6^th to 12^th graders to solve a pressing problem in their community using science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

“Their ideas are brilliant,” declared Vicente, a Sr. Manager of Business Development for the Mobile Business at Samsung Electronics America. She’s the Samsung employee mentor to two New Jersey state-winning teams: Belleville High School and Bergenfield High School which have already won $15,000 in Samsung technology and supplies for their schools as a result of their efforts. “I love working with the younger generations and sharing how technology can affect our lives for the better,” she said.

Belleville’s students brainstormed ideas on how they could assist their community for the detection and geolocation of lead levels in water. After speaking with the mayor and several experts, the students came up with a plan that would allow for a smartphone to be turned into a dark field microscope.  This detection system will be used to quantify lead levels in water and allow residents to make informed water usage decisions.

Team Bergenfield’s research into reversing antibiotic resistance to bacterial illnesses like pneumonia aims to raise awareness of the potential benefit of putting natural resistance back into the human body with foods like olive oil and chlorophyll supplements. A presentation by the Bergenfield Solve team of two and the local Board of Health helped get the word out of the students’ research and learnings and secured them an invite to a future community health fair in an effort to increase awareness of the learnings within the community.

As part of the STEM competition, both teams and 100 state winners across the nation have turned their STEM projects into prototypes with an accompanying video submission in a bid to be named a National Finalist and a shot at one of five grand prizes — $100,000 in Samsung technology and supplies for their schools.

“I think what Samsung is doing is amazing, considering the future of STEM and STEM-based careers and there’s such a shortage of scientists,” said Anu Thadani, STEM teacher at Bergenfield High School who is guiding the students through the competition. “I think competitions like will entice more students to go into these fields. It’s what our country gravely needs.”

Vicente is supporting the teams with weekly video chats, asking them each time, “How can I help you?” She is guiding their brainstorming process to help focus each project as well as helping the students get the most out of meetings with community members and experts, and ensuring all team members have a voice in the process.

“I hope my mentor role can help them establish a closer relationship with Samsung,” said Vicente, unknowingly calling to mind the company’s desired effect of the decade-old competition conducted by Samsung in the U.S. and now held in 30 countries around the world.

“Samsung Solve for Tomorrow began out of a desire to enable younger generations through education and inspire students to learn much-needed STEM skills through problem-based learning in order to build the technology workforce of the future,” explained Ann Woo, Sr. Director of Corporate Citizenship for Samsung Electronics America.

Which is why Vicente and her colleagues are a critical part of the contest’s activities. Vicente loves working to build technology for good and is very familiar with tech applications aimed at assisting the user. She worked at Samsung Spain on a groundbreaking app that detects dyslexia in younger students and, as an MBA Candidate, on a geolocation app that helps people with moderate Alzheimer’s disease to live more independently and safely.

“I see science and technology as a good way to understand the world, and that’s a good starting point for solving problems,” said Vicente, whose expertise is in creating value for users through apps deployed in connected devices. She has a Master of Science in Telecommunication Engineering, and a Master of Business Administration degree.

“These kids are following the same innovation method that we use in the real world – identify the need, brainstorm solutions, research, test, fail, learn – all while creating a huge impact in their community,” Vicente said. “I’m proud to work for a company that is investing time and resources into student innovation.”

This year marks the 10^th anniversary of the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition, for which Samsung has doubled the number of schools awarded in each phase of the contest as well as increased the overall prize pool to $3 million.* National Finalist teams will be announced on March 5^th, 2020 and will compete for one of five grand prizes and a community choice award by pitching their projects to a panel of judges on April 1^st in New York City.

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

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National Finalists Announced in the 10^th Annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest; Students to Pitch Their Projects at New York City Event

Today, Samsung Electronics America, Inc., announced the 20 National Finalists in the 10^th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest, which challenges students in grades 6-12 to use STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) to inspire change in their communities. Each National Finalist school will receive $50,000* in Samsung technology and classroom supplies, and a trip to New York City to pitch their project to a panel of judges to compete for the grand prize.

Ten years ago, Solve for Tomorrow set out to inspire students through bridging STEM and social impact, and this year’s National Finalists are addressing our nation’s biggest challenges head-on.

For the past few months, hundreds of students from every corner of the country have been building prototypes, apps, machines and more, to address some of the most pressing challenges in their local communities. Tackling issues ranging from sustainability to climate change, the 20 classrooms selected as National Finalists in this year’s contest are shining a light on topics of national importance from the perspective of students who face them at the community level on a daily basis. In celebration of the 10^th anniversary, Samsung increased the prize pool by $1 million and awarded twice as many schools the title of National Finalist.

“The world of technology has evolved rapidly over the last decade but the ability to think outside the box and approach problems from new angles continues to be a critical skillset for the next generation. Ten years ago, Solve for Tomorrow set out to inspire students through bridging STEM and social impact, and this year’s National Finalists are addressing our nation’s biggest challenges head-on,” said Ann Woo, Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics America. “At Samsung, our guiding vision is ‘Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People,’ through which we are committed to fostering the education of future generations and are ensuring they’re prepared to develop creative solutions in this technology-driven world thanks to the problem-based learning model Solve for Tomorrow promotes.”

Student representatives from the 20 National Finalist schools will travel to New York City to pitch their projects to a panel of judges in the quest to be named one of five National Grand Prize Winners. These five schools will receive $100,000* in technology and classroom supplies for their school along with a trip to Washington, D.C. to present their projects to members of Congress.

The general public will also elect one Community Choice Winner from the pool of National Finalists to receive an additional $10,000* in Samsung technology for their school. Anyone throughout the country can vote online for their favorite school and project. To participate, simply view the videos on the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow website and cast your vote. Voting is permitted once a day until 11:59 p.m. EST on Monday, March 30, 2020.

2019-2020 National Finalists:

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Samsung Solve for Tomorrow teacher in Lewistown, MT answers a doctor’s call for 3-D printed masks for healthcare workers

Susan Flentie is a science teacher at Lewistown Jr. High School in Montana with a passion for STEM education and inspiring her students, so when a doctor in Billings, MT put a call out to teachers with 3-D printers to make masks for healthcare workers, Flentie was one of the first to sign up.

“Since I posted about making the masks on social media, I’ve had people volunteering to give us money to buy more filament and I’ve had nurses and doctors from around here emailing me asking me for one,” Flentie explained.

Over the past 5 years, Flentie and her students have been a three-time State Winner and one-time State Finalist in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow national STEM contest, winning more than $66,000 worth of technology and supplies for their school, including the 3-D printer and Chromebooks that have come in handy as the school began holding virtual classes. A colleague of Flentie’s, life science teacher Steve Paulson, also won an additional $23,500 in technology for the school with his students in 2014 and 2015.

“We are able to check out Chromebooks to to use at home because of the numbers of Chromebooks we’ve received from Samsung in the three previous times we were State Winners,” Flentie explained.

Flentie isn’t the only Solve for Tomorrow teacher putting her technology and STEM skills to work for the safety of local healthcare workers and first responders. Both Kevin Woolridge, teacher at Blue Ridge High School in Lakeside, AZ and Marc Guthrie, a teacher at Central Magnet School in Murfreesboro, TN are as well.

Samsung commends all teachers nationwide who are serving their communities and helping students stay engaged and educated during this time.

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20 National Finalist Schools in the 10^th Annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest will pitch their projects virtually to be named one of five Grand Prize Winners

Samsung Electronics America, Inc. announced today it will host a Virtual Pitch Event for its 10^th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest, a national competition that challenges students in grades 6-12 to use STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) to inspire change in their communities. Adapting to the current remote learning environment brought on by COVID-19, 20 National Finalist schools will now deliver virtual presentations before a panel of judges on May 27, 2020 for a chance to win $100,000* in technology and be named one of five National Winners.

Since the start of the academic school year, students nationwide have been working together to develop creative solutions to address some of the most pressing challenges in their local communities. From mental health to school safety, the 20 classrooms selected as National Finalists are addressing issues of national importance. A final Pitch Event was initially scheduled to take place in New York City in April. This virtual format will still provide a well-deserved platform where these tenacious teachers and students who have nimbly adapted to remote learning can share their ideas.

“We transformed the final part of our program from an in-person event to a virtual experience that would give these hardworking and resilient students a moment to shine in a different way, celebrating an important milestone and recognizing each student’s hard work throughout the entire school year,” said Ann Woo, Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics America. “While the 10^th annual celebration of the National Finalists and National Winners will look different than planned, the spirit of this program goes on, and Solve for Tomorrow will continue to give a voice to these young changemakers across the nation. We look forward to hearing from these inspiring students and teachers and virtually experiencing their creative, community-building STEM solutions.”

For the Virtual Pitch Event, the 20 National Finalists will present their visionary approach to tackling challenges within their communities by applying STEM thinking. Joined by their teacher, students from each school will have ten minutes to present their project, demonstrate their prototypes, and participate in the Q&A session with the panel of judges. In addition to problem-solving and creative thinking skills, the event will foster remote presentation skills students and teachers have begun to develop as they navigate this new virtual learning environment. Samsung is ensuring that all students and teachers who were slated to attend the in-person event will have the technology capabilities to participate in this remote experience.

“As we continue to adapt and adjust to distance learning, celebrating the hard work of students is more important than ever,” said Kevin Lay, 2018-19 National Winner teacher. “Competing in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Pitch Event was an unforgettable experience for me and my students, and I am thrilled that the efforts of this year’s National Finalists will be recognized in this new format.”

In celebration of the 10^th anniversary, Samsung added an additional $1 million* to the prize pool and increased the number of National Winners from three to five. The five winners of the $100,000 grand prize will be announced following the Virtual Pitch Event. The Community Choice Winner – selected from the pool of National Finalists by the general public to receive an additional $10,000* in Samsung technology – will be also be unveiled following the event.

Since its inception, the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest has awarded $15 million in Samsung technology and classroom materials to more than 2,200 public schools in the United States.

To learn more about the National Finalists who will be competing in the Virtual Pitch Event, please visit www.samsung.com/solve or follow the contest on Instagram @SolveForTomorrow.

*Estimated retail value.

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The 20 teams of young scientists from public schools around the country that advanced to the national finals of the 2019-2020 Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Competition have put the finishing touches on their projects – projects that have already made a difference at their schools and in their communities. The contest, which challenges 6^th through 12^th graders to solve a problem in their community using science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), has brought out the inner engineer in every participant. Now, they’re telling their story.

Ahead of the final phase in this year’s contest, the pitch event, in which each team presents their STEM solution to a panel of judges, Samsung U.S. Newsroom posed 20 questions to the 20 national finalist teams about their Solve for Tomorrow journey. Read on to get to know each team and their innovative ideas for bridging STEM skills with social impact.

Finding Their Spark

Did you surprise yourself by participating in Solve for Tomorrow?

If you had told me at the beginning of the school year that I would create an app that uses Bluetooth to work with another device, I would not have thought it was possible.”

Carty and her teammates at Central Magnet School in Murfreesboro, TN tackled the problem of distracted driving because their state was named number one in the nation for distracted driving in 2019. The students designed an app to monitor driving distractions with the goal of helping drivers recognize situations that distract them and make a change in their driving habits. Watch the Central Magnet School team’s video below showing their STEM solution in action.

How do you encourage students to pursue STEM?

Make sure that the learning reflects the real world and applies to their lives outside the school building.

In Omro, WI the team found a more unique problem to address: Keeping winter ice fishing enthusiasts safe on the ice each year. The team decided to use robotics and soundwaves to measure ice thickness and send the data to the app they built called “Stat-Ice.” Watch below to see all the hard work and learning team Omro accomplished to reduce accidents while enjoying one of their community’s most popular sports.

What was your team’s ultimate goal for your project?

By designing a device that is safe, simple and secure, we could prevent one more youth suicide, save one child’s life.

Team Goddard invented a safe lock notification system intended to be an extra layer of security for gun safes that, statistics show, too many young people gain access to. In the team’s video describing their project they explain how they wanted the device to be simple to use, easy to install and refrain from altering the safe in any way. But the STEM skills they employed to come up with a working prototype are far from simple! Take a look.

What is one of your team’s unique characteristics?

Diversity. We’re all different, but we all want to save lives.

Ashland Middle School, now a three-time National Finalist in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest and a National Winner in 2018 is pursuing their second Grand Prize win with a device to help mobility-impaired students escape a multi-level building in a fire, and an app to alert school officials of their location that is now in use across their school district. See the app and mobility chair in action in the video below.

What changes have you noticed in your team, other students, parents and your community through your team’s participation in Solve for Tomorrow?

The team has become significantly more motivated each step of the way. Parents have taken a more supportive role, and our community has taken notice. More students have requested to be part of the team for next year.

In Arizona, drought is a harsh reality and requires costly maintenance of water catchment tanks by the Arizona Game and Fish Department to ensure wildlife has the water they need. See how Blue Ridge Jr. High students designed a low-cost sensor to monitor water levels in the tanks and help decrease time and cost associated with managing the wildlife water program.

Getting Motivated

What was your team’s motivation in designing this project?

We want to honor our veterans and help many other people.

Did you know Arkansas ranks as one of the highest states for amputation and 72% of amputees suffer from Phantom Limb Pain? As the team from George Junior High School describes it, Phantom Limb Pain occurs when the nerves that the brain associates with the limb remain, and the damage to these nerves results in the person feeling pain. Motivated by a desire to help veterans, the students from Springdale, AR, developed a therapeutic virtual reality experience to help alleviate the Phantom Limb Pain that veterans and other amputees suffer from. See the results of the team’s STEM project in the video below.

How do you think your project can improve the world?

We hope that by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to educate about recycling, we can make a difference for tomorrow’s generation, one person at a time.

The students at North Carolina School of Science and Math in Durham, NC got motivated to put their STEM skills to work to improve recycling rates and make a positive impact on the planet. Using artificial intelligence, the group built an app that can help users identify recyclables properly with the goal of reduce waste contamination at recycling sites that often causes all of the waste to be sent to landfills. Watch team North Carolina’s video describing their Solve for Tomorrow project below.

What have you learned from participating in the Solve for Tomorrow challenge and how are you feeling about working on your team’s project?

So far I have learned in more detail of the molecular, electricity, and coding as well as fast prototyping and I’m excited, inspired and thrilled.

Students at Chawanakee Academy Charter School in O’Neals, CA are all too familiar with poor air quality resulting from wildfires. After learning that more than 40% of residents in their community report health problems based on the air quality, they set out to create a “smart mask” that uses an alert system to warn of hazardous chemicals and health risks in the air due to wildfires. Check out the team’s work below.

What do you hope your Solve for Tomorrow project will achieve?

We hope that with our device, kids with ADHD can have a better relationship with their teachers and fellow students, making them more included, rather than excluded, because of their condition.

Addressing a prevalent disability for many students, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, the students at North Pole Middle School in Alaska wanted to find a non-medical solution to help increase focus in students struggling to concentrate on their studies. Check out their video to see how they built an app for a wearable device to help mitigate distractions and keep them more engaged in learning.

How have you intended your project to help support people’s mental health?

This project gives students access to an outlet that many of us can’t get with therapy.

According to the team’s research, 80% of children with diagnosable anxiety disorder are not treated medically, despite anxiety being a treatable condition. Due to lack of access to treatment in smaller communities, the Solve for Tomorrow team at Edward C. Reed High School in Sparks, NV designed a 3-D printed soothing device that uses sensors to send signals to an app with tools to help calm someone down during an anxiety attack. Check it out.

How do you intend your STEM project will help save lives?

Our STEM solution increases the safety of pedestrians in any community by proactively and interactively reminding drivers how to stop properly and safely.

The students at Loudoun Valley High School hope to put an end to drivers running stop signs in their community and identify higher risk intersections. To do so, they used STEM skills to design a solar-powered smart stop sign that gives an approaching driver visual feedback on their speed to encourage a complete stop. See how they even went a step further with Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping software to allow authorities to assess which intersections pose the greatest risk to pedestrians simply by logging all the stops made for analysis by authorities.

DEVELOPING SKILLS FOR LIFE

What do you hope to achieve for your own personal development by the end of the contest?

I hope to continue to believe in myself and know that I can accomplish tasks bigger than I once thought possible.

For their STEM project, the students at Center Grove High School in Greenwood, IN wanted to help low-income families save on energy costs, so they developed a portable, low-cost and easy application insulation solution to be applied to walls in mobile homes to ensure better heat retention. See how the product can help decrease heat loss by more than 60%.

What would your school do with the Solve for Tomorrow grand prize?

We don’t have technology available for every student. This opportunity would allow us to offer technology to every student in middle school for use at home and school.

For their STEM project, focused on saving lives, the young scientists at Newark Charter School in Newark, DE designed a backpack wearable device to share real-time alerts with students in the event of an emergency. Using a 3-D printer, circuits and micro bit technology the team programmed the device to send a radio signal and activate the alert system at the press of a button by a school administrator or teacher. Check it out below.

TEAMWORK AND PROCESS

What are some of your favorite elements of your Solve for Tomorrow team’s process?

We are proud of our smart-helmet design and our collaborative and creative process. We also listened to and engaged with our community to bring our idea to life.

Keeping bicyclists safe on the busy streets of New York City was the main goal of the Solve for Tomorrow STEM project for team Gregorio Luperon High School. See how the students designed a smart helmet and bicycle system to provide real time information to cyclists about their immediate surroundings using sensors, allowing them to be active participants in their own safety.

What has your team’s process been like since producing the prototype?

The development didn’t stop there. We presented our idea at the Climate Action Summit, where we received really useful suggestions from various tech and climate specialists.

Also located in California, the students at Dougherty Valley High School in San Ramon set out to find a way to potentially prevent wildfires based on weather conditions that can feed the flames. The team created a low-cost sensor that can detect wind speed, humidity, and temperature, indicating a possible risk of fire in a particular area. Watch the video below to see how the sensor can relay that information back to the local fire department.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

How easy is your Solve team’s device to use?

h the help of local engineers, we designed a prototype that is small and able to fit on the back of our Samsung phone.

As a returning National Finalist in the competition, students at Northern Cass School in Hunter, ND are no strangers to putting their STEM skills to work with the goal of saving lives. This year, the all-girl team decided to tackle the threat of carbon monoxide poisoning due to their community’s harsh winters that can lead to snow piling up and blocking exhaust from being released into the air. See how the students designed a portable carbon monoxide detector that is affixed to smartphones to alert residents of high carbon monoxide levels wherever they go.

How has your community responded to your team’s Solve for Tomorrow project?

It’s an idea that makes the city safer.

Flash flooding is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S., according to research done by the team at Downtown Doral Charter Upper School in Doral, FL. That’s why the students decided to tackle the problem with their STEM knowledge and create a device to detect sediment build-up that often leads to poor drainage during a flash flood. Check out their video to see how the device uses a LIDAR sensor and microcontroller to share real-time updates with local officials to ensure cleaning and maintenance is carried out.

How did you engage community experts to help develop your project?

We conducted community focus groups to find out how we can make our project a success.

With vaping a common problem across the nation and in their school, the students at Liberty Avenue Middle School in Brooklyn set out to create a solution that could help curb someone’s vaping addiction. After a poll of their peers showed that more than 60% didn’t know where to seek help if they became addicted to vaping, the students developed a sensor for vaping devices that tracks the amount of “pulls” daily, tests for harmful additives and provides education and cessation information. Check out the team’s work below.

What’s next for your Solve team’s project?

Our local mayor asked us to speak about our project at the next city council meeting.

At Fairfield High School in Ohio, the students worked on developing a new solution to prevent child fatalities due to pediatric heatstroke after being accidentally locked in a hot car. Their device detects an unknown weight remaining in the car seat of a vehicle, which connects to an app that alerts car owners before they move too far away from the vehicle. Watch how this group of students put their STEM skills to work to save lives.

CHARTING THEIR FUTURE

What are your team’s plans for your project after the Solve for Tomorrow contest is over?

In the future, we hope to include citizen scientists as part of our project. We would like to create an open domain map for the public so its ease of use and data can be shared with everyone around the world.

Recognizing that lead levels going undetected in water is a serious problem in their community and across the U.S., the students at Belleville High School knew immediately that this was the problem they wanted to tackle as part of the Solve for Tomorrow contest. With added guidance from community experts and their Samsung mentor, they came up with an app to test for lead ions in water and help prevent lead poisoning. Check out their work below.

*NOTE: The school is solely responsible for ensuring the proper handling and security of all data potentially shared and/or collected as part of their students’ Solve for Tomorrow projects. Samsung takes privacy very seriously and encourages all National Finalists to consider how information that is part of their project is being handled.

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During a livestream virtual celebration event, Samsung announced the five National Grand Prize Winners in the 10^th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest – a $3 million* national competition that challenges public school students in grades 6-12 to use STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills to address real-world change in their communities.

*Estimated Retail Value

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Public schools named grand prize winners in $3 million* 10^th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest

During a livestream virtual celebration event, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. announced today the five National Grand Prize Winners in the 10^th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest – a $3 million* national competition that challenges public school students in grades 6-12 to use STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills to address real-world change in their communities. Each National Winner school will receive $100,000 in technology and supplies to meet the needs of their classrooms.

Five National Winners were selected following the competition’s first-ever Virtual Pitch Event where students and teachers collaborated remotely to virtually present their STEM projects to a panel of judges. From recycling and sustainability to child safety and wildlife prevention, each National Grand Prize Winner responded to an issue that is impacting their local communities, developing creative STEM innovations using problem-based learning throughout the academic school year.

“Samsung is deeply troubled by the events that have happened in our country recently and our hearts go out to the people and communities across the nation who are hurting. During these difficult times, we remain committed to supporting and empowering our youth, who have worked tirelessly all year in a rapidly changing world, and honoring their hard work so they may shine and pave the way as problem-solvers and changemakers who build hope for our future,” said Ann Woo, Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics America. “It may be hard to imagine how positivity can come from challenging times, but we believe they can be the source of creativity and innovation of new pathways. For the past 10 years, Solve for Tomorrow has encouraged students to identify the issues facing their communities and we are proud of the work these students have done to take action.”

The five National Winners in the 10^th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest and their grand prize-winning STEM projects are:

1. Dougherty Valley High School – San Ramon, California

Last year in California alone, 6,200 fires ravished the Pacific coast, 2,300 buildings were destroyed, and more than 100 people were killed. The majority of fires in California are caused by dry hills surrounding suburban areas and slow relay of information to the fire department. The students created a low-cost sensor that can detect wind speed, humidity, and temperature, indicating a possible risk of fire in a particular area, and relaying that information back to the local fire department early.

View Dougherty Valley High School’s project video:

2. Downtown Doral Charter Upper School – Doral, Florida

Flash Flooding is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S. The city of Doral receives large amounts of precipitation especially during summer and hurricane season, but sediment obstruction and poor drainage have led to drainage system failures and flooding. The students created a device to detect sediment build-up and share real-time updates on the density of sediments in drains to local officials when structures need immediate cleaning and maintenance.

View Downtown Doral Charter Upper School’s project video:

3. Fairfield High School – Fairfield, Ohio

There are far too many child fatalities due to heat strokes from being locked in a hot car. There was a record high of 51 deaths in 2018. Since 1998, Ohio has had twenty reported deaths – the largest number of accidents in any northern state. The students developed a device that detects an unknown weight remaining in the car seat of a vehicle, which connects to an app that alerts car owners before they move too far away from the vehicle.

View Fairfield High School’s project video:

4. North Carolina School of Science and Math – Durham, North Carolina 

An estimated 25% of recycling is contaminated by waste, making cross-contamination a tremendous problem for recycling centers across the country. The students created an app that uses image processing and machine learning algorithms to help people separate recyclables and non-recyclables

View North Carolina School of Science and Math’s project video:

5. Omro High School – Omro, Wisconsin

Ice fishing is prevalent in Wisconsin, and 230,000 snowmobiles use trails that go over the frozen water. Nationwide, nearly 8,000 people fall through the ice and drown each year. The students built a sensor that can determine ice thickness in real-time and relay that information via app, Stat-Ice, to help winter enthusiasts make educated decisions about going out on the ice.

View Omro High School’s project video:

In addition to the five National Winners, Ashland Middle School in Ashland, Kentucky, was named this year’s Community Choice Winner for generating the most public votes online for their device to help mobility-impaired students escape a multi-level building in a fire, and an app to alert school officials of their location. As the Community Choice Winner, the students have won an additional $10,000* in technology for their school, in addition to $50,000 in technology for being named a National Finalist.

View Ashland Middle School’s project video:

The five National Winners and one Community Choice Award Winner were revealed in a Virtual Celebration Event, which brought together dozens of students and teachers from the 20 National Finalist schools. The event included remarks from Samsung executives and Solve for Tomorrow alumni and can be seen here.

In celebration of the 10^th anniversary of Solve for Tomorrow, Samsung increased the prize pool and the number of winners throughout each phase of the contest. After submitting project ideas last October, the five National Winners were selected from thousands of schools nationwide and progressed throughout various stages of the contest and prototype development. They were selected as one of 300 State Finalists in November, then one of 100 State Winners in January before advancing as one of 20 National Finalists in March, and ultimately, a 2020 National Grand Prize Winner. The final Pitch Event was initially scheduled to take place in New York City in April but was replaced with a virtual format due to COVID-19.

Anchored in Samsung’s guiding vision of ‘Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People’, Solve for Tomorrow launched in 2010 to encourage innovative thinking, creative problem-solving and teamwork to discover and nurture social innovation ideas aimed at resolving society’s most pressing problems. What began as an environment-focused essay contest has transformed into a problem-based learning initiative that fosters critical thinking and creative problem solving. Since its inception, the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest has awarded $18 million in Samsung technology and classroom materials to more than 2,500 public schools in the United States.

To learn more about the contest and this year’s winners, please visit: ​www.samsung.com/solve or follow us on Instagram @solvefortomorrow.

*Estimated Retail Value

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This summer, the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow program, a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) competition that challenges public school students in grades 6-12 to showcase how STEM can be applied to help improve their community, hosted its second annual Teacher Academy. The Academy is a week-long program offering teachers from across the U.S. with a unique professional development experience designed to build and sustain a culture of STEM teaching and learning.

The participating Academy teachers are all Solve for Tomorrow alumni who collectively earned over $1.5 million in technology and classroom materials for their respective schools this year. Having just adapted to teaching during a pandemic, 65 teachers from 39 states now became remote learning students, attending Academy sessions supported by Solve for Tomorrow partner, mindSpark Learning. The curriculum included exercises that tackled how to implement problem-based learning (PBL) in a virtual world and how to create an empathetic learning environment.

The ability to form relationships through the Teacher Academy is invaluable.

With a mission of cultivating a community of STEM professionals by providing the teachers with the tools and resources needed to be successful, Samsung, mindSpark Learning and the teachers brainstormed creative ways to take on the upcoming school year and its unique set of challenges. It should go without saying that the Samsung team found the second cohort of educators – much like the first – to be inspiring. Their enthusiasm reverberated in Academy chat rooms and video conferences as they formulated new ways in which to integrate STEM into compelling lesson plans and devised enriching learning environments for their students.

“Today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders. And teachers are the key to unlocking student potential – especially in STEM. The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Teacher Academy aims to provide inspiring and meaningful programming for Solve for Tomorrow teachers that included unique professional development experiences and pathways that will help them on their journey in guiding their students,” said Ann Woo, Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics America. “With the 2020 Teacher Academy class, we’ve also built upon our network of vibrant STEM educators. We saw the power of the peer network come to life at the tail end of the last school year, and we believe the second cohort will support each other in making learning more accessible and effective for students in the upcoming school year.”

“The ability to form relationships through the Teacher Academy is invaluable,” said Joseph Giandurco, a middle school science teacher at Ponus Ridge Middle School in Connecticut and Solve for Tomorrow contest state finalist in 2020. “I have a binder full of information and resources now, along with the support of the Professional Learning Community groups that we formed.”

“The Samsung team is honored to work with these inspirational, hand-raising teachers who came together during a truly unprecedented time to challenge themselves, develop new teaching strategies, and grow for both their benefit and the benefit of their students,” shared Michele Mosa, Senior Manager of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics America. “These remarkable educators are being pulled in multiple directions. They made the decision to invest more than 2,600 hours collectively on learning new teaching methods, preparing for the unknowns of next year, and joining a network of education allies to guide them along the way.”

As part of the Academy curriculum, Samsung employees from subsidiaries across the U.S. such as Samsung Austin Semiconductor, Samsung Research America, Samsung Semiconductor, Samsung Electronics Home Appliance, Samsung NEXT and Samsung Electronics America, were invited to speak at an employee roundtable with the teachers about their STEM career journeys.

When you have a female student interested in participating in the Solve for Tomorrow program, encourage her to invite her friends to participate too.

“My favorite part of the program was the opportunity to meet with Samsung employees,” shared Dolly Bergen, a high school physics teacher in California and a national finalist in 2018. “The employees shared amazing advice and reemphasized that students should network and participate in internships.”

One teacher asked how he can get more young women involved in the Solve for Tomorrow contest and STEM classes. Katie Van Strander, Senior TR in Material Technology with Samsung Austin Semiconductor shared her experiences in the STEM field. While highlighting that there were not many women in her higher education classes, she has seen good strides in the professional setting with more women represented in the STEM field. “It’s important for young girls to have role models. When you have a female student interested in participating in the Solve for Tomorrow program, encourage her to invite her friends to participate too.”

Pedro Martínez López, a Think Tank Team Research Engineer at Samsung Research America, participated in the employee roundtable last year and came back for another year. “Programs like Solve for Tomorrow and the Teacher Academy can have a huge impact. In regards to PBL, I was lucky to experience this kind of teaching in school. And contests, like Solve for Tomorrow, are a great way for students from all walks of life to realize their potential, meet like-minded peers, and networking with a company like Samsung is a great opportunity.”

Overall, PBL lessons in leadership, disruption and empathy, along with peer network opportunities, were deemed invaluable as the educators head ‘back to school.’

When asked what piece of advice they would share with other teachers gearing up for the academic year ahead, Dolly responded with the importance of practicing self-care. “Put one hour per day on your calendar for yourself to do something you enjoy. Teachers are caring people and are often giving, and you can’t give if your cup is empty.”

Joseph echoed the sentiment, “Try to relax. And remember we’re all adapting to these changes. Taking it day by day helps.”

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Teachers can now apply to win a share of $2 million in technology and supplies for their schools.

Samsung today announced the launch of the 11^th annual $2 million¹ Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest, which challenges students in grades 6–12 and their teachers to use STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) to tackle local issues of national importance. Now through December 13, 2020, public school teachers across the U.S. can apply² for this year’s program and submit their activity plans that enable students to create real-world change in their communities using problem-based learning.

As students and teachers continue to navigate a complex learning environment – whether virtual, in-person or a hybrid of both – Solve for Tomorrow provides a unique opportunity for teachers to bring their students together regardless of classroom format using problem-based learning and hands-on STEM skills. Solve for Tomorrow empowers thousands of students to create innovative solutions that transform communities as they address issues ranging from mental health and wildfire safety to sustainability and climate change.

“Teachers are the backbone of our education system and Samsung recognizes the challenges that today’s educators are facing. We are in awe of the resiliency of teachers and students who have adapted to a new learning environment, and we remain focused on encouraging unique ways for students to engage in hands-on STEM learning all across the country,” said Ann Woo, Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics America. “Over the last decade, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow has enabled our youth to pave the way towards real, meaningful change. Now more than ever, it is imperative that we guide students on the value of STEM skills to solve the greatest issues impacting their local communities and we look forward to this year’s STEM innovations.”

Solve for Tomorrow will award $2 million* in technology and supplies to classrooms as they advance throughout the contest. After teachers submit their lesson plans, they have the opportunity to move forward through the following phases:

• Up to 100 Semi-Finalists from the pool of applicants will be awarded $10,000 to be redeemed on DonorsChoose.org
• 10 National Finalist Schools will be selected to participate in the virtual pitch event where they will present their project to a panel of judges. For achieving National Finalist status, seven of these schools will be awarded $50,000 in technology and supplies while the remaining three will be named National Grand Prize Winners.
• 3 National Grand Prize Winner schools will each receive $100,000 in classroom technology and supplies
• Public voting will also determine one Community Choice winner, who will be eligible to win an additional $10,000 in Samsung technology

To supplement the competition and provide additional resources to teachers, Samsung is offering two professional development opportunities through mindSpark Learning to equip educators with tools to apply for this year’s competition. Open to any teacher who registers for the contest, “Problem-Based Learning” foundations will introduce the framework and methodologies of project-based learning, as well as tools to navigate the Solve for Tomorrow submission in a virtual environment. The second two-part course will provide “Design Thinking” methodologies – also with special attention to virtual environments – and will be open to any teacher who starts the contest application.

“For seven years, participating in Solve for Tomorrow has helped expose my students to problem-based learning and demonstrate how STEM education can be applied to solve real, pressing issues. Samsung Solve for Tomorrow has become a cornerstone of my annual curriculum,” said Susan Flentie, member of the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Teachers Academy.  “I am thankful for the resources and opportunities that this contest will now offer in the virtual environment, and I look forward to exploring the professional development resources as I enter the contest again this year.”

Anchored in Samsung’s guiding vision of ‘Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People’, Solve for Tomorrow launched in 2010 to encourage innovative thinking, creative problem-solving and teamwork to address the most pressing issues impacting society. Today, the competition fosters critical thinking and creative problem solving, anchored in problem-based learning. For the past decade, Samsung has awarded $18 million in technology and classroom materials to more than 2,500 public schools in the United States.

To enter the contest, and for official contest rules, please visit samsung.com/solve. The deadline to submit is 11:59 p.m. ET on December 13, 2020.

[1] $2 million prize is based on an estimated retail value.

[2] 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.

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At Samsung, we have always had a pioneering spirit, a drive to push the boundaries of technology, and a steadfast mission to create meaningful innovation. We acknowledge the integral role that science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) plays in our daily lives and, as a corporate citizen, we are working to bridge STEM education gaps by readying a workforce through initiatives like Samsung Solve for Tomorrow (SFT). Entering its eleventh year, the national K-12 public school program is inspiring young minds to become seeds of change in their local communities and is effectively creating a viable talent pipeline to fill the growing STEM workforce needs.

As Samsung Solve for Tomorrow embarks upon a new decade, equity and empathy are top-of-mind. This has sparked a heightened focus on “STEMpathy” – embedding human compassion and empathy into STEM education to further evolve both emotional intelligence and cognitive development. Empathetic understanding leads to human-centered ways of solving problems and that conscious view also frames critical thinking, creativity, curiosity, decision making, leadership, entrepreneurship, and more.

Samsung has always been fundamentally human-centric, designing leading edge innovations to contribute to a better global society. So, we believe the intentionality behind STEMpathy to create social and economic value is a vital concept – and one that should become the centerpiece of a bold, new STEM education model. Samsung Electronics America Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship Ann Woo recently connected with DonorsChoose CEO & Founder Charles Best for an inspiring conversation on how they are supporting teachers’ STEMpathy vision in classrooms across America.

Ann Woo (Samsung): DonorsChoose turned 20 this year. How does it feel to lead and grow such a purpose-filled brand?

Charles Best (DonorsChoose): When I founded DonorsChoose out of my Bronx history classroom in 2000, I never imagined it would grow into a national organization helping teachers and students get everything from crayons to tablets. None of that is possible without the hard work of teachers, donors, and partners who join to bring learning to life for students every day.

It’s been incredible to see more than 600,000 teachers across the country use DonorsChoose to provide students with learning resources. We recently crossed the $1 billion mark for donations to learning project requests. And while that number may seem large, teachers spend an average of $1 billion out of pocket each year. So, we still have work to do.

Ann W.: What has been the most gratifying part of helping public school teachers bring their classroom projects to life?

Charles B.: We predominantly serve low-income schools, which is why Dan Domenech, Executive Director of the AASA, calls us “the PTA equalizer.” Unlike other crowdfunding platforms, which act as a way for teachers to hit up their friends and family for cash, DonorsChoose connects teachers to a network of more than four million people excited to help their students thrive. Three-quarters of donations come from people and organizations who don’t personally know the teacher they’re giving to, meaning that teachers who don’t have affluent social circles can still bring great learning opportunities to students.

Ann W.: Are you seeing an uptick in teachers requesting funds for STEM projects that have empathy or compassion bend?

Charles B.: In the last year, teachers have posted more than 200 STEM projects that include “empathy” or “compassion” in the project essay. One example is Ms. Hughes’s project, “Trash Hunger by Recycling!” Ms. Hughes requested resources to keep her Georgia middle school’s recycling program — which fundraises for local food banks — running safely and contact-free during the pandemic. She described how the project bridges STEM and empathy: “The students are gaining leadership and communication skills, expanding their knowledge about finances and the cost of food, while protecting the planet and having compassion for others.”

We’ve seen a definite increase in the need for social and emotional learning resources overall this year as teachers help students process the impact of COVID-19 and of the fight against inequality across the country this summer. Knowing that this need exists, we’re thrilled to see Samsung encourage and inspire teachers to bring an empathy-centered mindset to STEM teaching.

Ann W.: Is the philanthropic public receptive to such “STEMpathy” projects?

Charles B.: Nearly three-quarters of the STEM projects we’ve seen that mention the words “empathy” or “compassion” have been fully funded, which is higher than our average success rate. This year more than ever, teachers and donors alike have students’ mental wellbeing in mind, and building empathy among and between students will be key for a successful school year. We’re excited to see how Samsung shining a light on this concept will inspire more donors to give to such projects.

Ann W.: As a former teacher yourself, why do you feel empathy in STEM education is so important?

Charles B.: When you’re teaching students, you’re connecting with a full person. Incorporating elements like empathy and compassion into science and math education helps students engage with the material from a different angle while inspiring them to care for the world around them. This generation of students has already been tasked with extraordinary challenges, and we have a chance to give them the tools to face those challenges head on.

Ann W.: As a non-profit harnessing technology to tap into the public’s compassion for access and equity, what are the parallels between the STEMpathy concept and DonorsChoose?

Charles B.: I was inspired to found DonorsChoose in part by my colleagues’ dedication to their students’ well-being and success — a dedication fundamentally based in empathy. They were constantly dreaming up ways to inspire students and often reached into their own pockets to cover basics. I had the sense that there were people out there who felt a similar empathy towards both teachers and students, and who would support those teachers’ dreams if they could see where their money was going.

DonorsChoose harnesses the power of technology to tap into people’s empathy. Our platform encourages teachers to authentically share stories of their classroom, inspires people to help students they’ve never met before, and moves companies to invest in this country’s future generations.

We accomplish those goals by building our product with people in mind first. One example: When teachers are creating their request, we encourage them to use asset-framing in their project essay through prompts and examples. Asset-framing was coined by DonorsChoose board member and BMe founder Trabian Shorters. He describes it as “defining people by their aspirations and their contributions, then acknowledging the challenges that often extend beyond them, and investing in them for their continued benefit to society.” When teachers use this approach to describe their students, donors are really able to get a picture of the classroom and everything that could be possible for those students if given the right tools.

Ann W.: Since 2018, DonorsChoose and Samsung Solve for Tomorrow have provided funding directly to 4,000 teachers. How does partnering with Samsung enhance the mission of DonorsChoose and what sort of enduring impact does the collaboration have on local communities?

Charles B.: Samsung Solve for Tomorrow and DonorsChoose were both founded on the idea that we should listen to teachers and students when looking to improve the world around us. Samsung Solve for Tomorrow encourages innovation, critical thinking, creativity, and fun, making DonorsChoose teachers (who already go above and beyond for students) perfectly poised for this opportunity.

This year, Samsung is investing even more in teacher professional development. Teachers, most of whom are adjusting to virtual teaching for the first time, are hungry for the opportunity to increase their skills and deepen student engagement.

In addition to the $3.9 million in resources we’ve delivered to classrooms thanks to this partnership, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow also serves teachers in non-monetary ways. Giving teachers and students the tools to improve their community signals a strong vote of confidence, and shows that we trust in teacher wisdom and student ingenuity.

Ann W.: Be it virtual, hybrid, or in-person, we’re nearly two months into the new school year. How can we get involved and support teachers that are already under such immense pressure?

Charles B.: In early September, we released a survey of 1,000 DonorsChoose teachers sharing what’s top of mind for them as they head into the school year. Technology, basic supplies, and resources to stay healthy and keep classrooms clean showed up as teachers’ largest needs.

I think one of the most important things we can do for teachers right now is to listen to them and fulfill as many of the needs they identify as we can. Right now, more than 45,000 teachers are requesting resources on DonorsChoose. Every district, every class, and every student is facing such different circumstances, and those differences threaten to widen education inequity. Teachers have both the wisdom and proximity to figure out the resources and materials that can help bridge those gaps, and keep students learning no matter where they are. We just need to bring those solutions to life.

The post STEMpathy in Schools: A Conversation with DonorsChoose appeared first on Samsung US Newsroom.

With the deadline extended until December 21, teachers can still apply to win technology and supplies for their schools

There are less than two weeks left for teachers across the country to enter the 11^th annual $2 million* Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest, which challenges students in grades 6-12 and their teachers to use STEM education (science, technology, engineering, and math) to tackle local issues of national importance. The deadline to submit has been extended to 11:59 p.m. ET on December 21, 2020 giving teachers additional time to apply for this year’s program.

Public school teachers from all 50 states and the District of Columbia are eligible to nominate their classrooms – including virtual, in-person or hybrid formats – and open doors to new opportunities for students. The application form requires teachers to outline their local challenge, as well as how students will use STEM to address the problem, the solution idea they will build, and the potential impact on the community.

Last year’s winners created solutions to address wildfires, flash flooding, recycling, ice safety and pediatric heat stroke. Over the past decade of the program, technology-driven solutions have addressed issues ranging from climate change to mental health. Whatever the topic may be, it always starts with an idea.

“The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest was especially valuable because it allowed me to not only experience firsthand the impact STEM can have on my local community, but also allowed me to see the value of collaboration among my classmates working together toward a solution that can change the world, even at our age,” said Neha Vinjapuri, a student at Dougherty Valley High School in California and 2019-2020 Solve for Tomorrow National Winner. “Because of my experience in Solve for Tomorrow, I am looking to pursue a STEM career to better the world around me.”

Solve for Tomorrow will award $2 million in technology and supplies to schools as they advance throughout the contest. The contest will proceed with the following phases:

• Up to 100 Semi-Finalists – In January, Samsung will announce up to 100 Semi-Finalists who will be awarded $10,000 to be redeemed on DonorsChoose.org.
• 10 National Finalist Schools – In the spring, 10 National Finalists will be selected to participate in the virtual pitch event where they will present their project to a panel of judges. For achieving National Finalist status, seven of these schools will be awarded $50,000 in technology and supplies while the remaining three will be named National Winners.
  • Public voting will also determine one Community Choice winner, who will be eligible to win an additional $10,000 in Samsung technology
• Three National Winner Schools – Following the virtual pitch event, Samsung will award three schools the grand prize of $100,000 in classroom technology and supplies for their achievement.

As part of Samsung’s guiding vision of ‘Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People’, Solve for Tomorrow was created in 2010 to encourage innovative thinking, creative problem-solving and teamwork to address the most pressing issues impacting society. Today, the competition fosters critical thinking and creative problem solving, anchored in problem-based learning. For the past decade, Samsung has awarded $18 million in technology and classroom materials to more than 2,500 public schools in the United States.

To enter the contest, and for official contest rules, please visit samsung.com/solve. The deadline to submit is 11:59 p.m. ET on December 21, 2020. 

*$2 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 Last Call for Teachers: Enter Today to the $2 Million Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest appeared first on Samsung US Newsroom.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. shared its vision for the future at the 2021 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The company introduced new products at its virtual press conference, showing how it’s continuing to innovate by creating solutions that are flexible, intelligently connected, and use AI to understand context to make daily life seamless.

“Our world looks different, and many of you have been faced with a new reality–one where, among other things, your home has taken on a greater significance,” said Sebastian Seung, President and Head of Samsung Research, the advanced R&D hub of the company that leads the development of future technologies for Samsung Electronics’ SET (end-products), addressing the company’s efforts to enhance the at-home technology experience. “Our innovations are designed to provide more personal and more intuitive experiences that express your personality. We’re hard at work to bring you next-generation innovation, with AI as the core enabler, for your better tomorrow.”

Creating More Intimate and Personalized User Experiences

As people spent more time at home last year, the tech they wanted became the tech they needed. In relying on that tech, people came to understand many ways connected solutions could make life easier. TVs were vital for entertainment—and sometimes, fitness. Chromebooks became crucial home learning tools. Smart fridges helped with remote shopping and meal prep. Smartphones were indispensable.

Samsung’s continued investments in innovations that adapt to evolving lifestyles enable the company to keep pace with rapid changes. Key innovations unveiled include:

• Samsung Bespoke 4-Door Flex: The latest version of the Bespoke refrigerator features changeable panels that come with a choice of colors and materials that made the original a success, allowing consumers to adjust their fridge for form and function. The new 4-Door model, available in North America this spring, also includes a brand-new Beverage Center, which gives quick access to a water dispenser and an automatically-filled water pitcher. The 4-door Bespoke also comes equipped with a Dual Auto Ice Maker which makes not only regular cubed ice but also smaller ‘ice bites’ to suit different preferences for cold beverages.
• 110-inch MICRO LED: This new screen features self-lit inorganic LED with a slim and nearly bezel-less Infinity Screen design that seamlessly blends into the living space. The result is a spectacularly immersive viewing experience with astounding picture quality. The 110-inch MICRO LED also adds “4Vue” (Quad View), a four-way viewing option—so you can keep up with multiple sports at once, or stream a tutorial while playing a video game. Also, for US consumers, more than 160 free channels¹ are available through Samsung TV Plus. MICRO LED will be rolled out globally beginning this spring².
• Lifestyle TV: Samsung’s cutting-edge lifestyle TV lineup includes The Serif, The Frame, The Sero and The Terrace—a recently launched 4K QLED outdoor TV—as well as Samsung The Premiere, a cinema-like quality 4K laser projector.
• SmartThings Cooking: A new service from Samsung SmartThings is designed to make your culinary journey seamless. An automatic Meal Planner powered by Whisk’s Food AI recommends meals for the whole week, makes shopping lists with the ingredients you need, and connects to grocery retailers for one-stop shopping straight from the Family Hub refrigerator or your mobile screen. Recipe instructions can be sent directly to synced Samsung cooking devices to minimize hassles and mistakes³.
• Samsung Health Smart Trainer on Samsung 2021 TVs: Samsung Health seamlessly transforms the home into a personal gym, and the new Smart Trainer⁴ feature tracks and analyzes posture in real-time, just like a personal trainer. During and post-workout, Smart Trainer provides feedback on form, helps you count your reps, and estimates calories burned. With video and interactive training via Bixby-enabled voice control, Samsung Health Smart Trainer elevates and personalizes the home workout experience.

Bringing AI and Robots to Daily Life including Housekeeping

Samsung has long been at the forefront of AI and robotics innovation, leveraging its seven global AI research centers to advance technology. By bringing AI to its products, Samsung is creating new home experiences—from washing machines that optimize water usage, detergents, and wash cycles, to TVs with a Quantum AI Processor that can upscale HD content into pristine 8K resolution.

The major technologies featured during Samsung’s press conference include the following:

• JetBot 90 AI+: Coming to the US 1H 2021, this new vacuum cleaner uses object recognition technology to identify and classify objects to decide the best cleaning path. LiDAR and 3D sensors allow JetBot 90 AI+ to avoid cables and small objects, while still cleaning hard-to-reach corners in your home. Also outfitted with a camera, JetBot90 AI+ is integrated with the SmartThings⁵ app to assist you with home monitoring.
• Samsung Bot Care⁶: The latest development in Samsung’s growing robotics lineup, Samsung Bot Care is designed use AI to recognize and respond to your behavior. It will be able to act as both a robotic assistant and companion, helping to take care of the details in your life. It will also learn your schedule and habits and send you reminders to help guide you throughout your busy day.
• Samsung Bot Handy⁷: Also in development, Samsung Bot Handy will rely on advanced AI to recognize and pick up objects of varying sizes, shapes and weights, becoming an extension of you and helping you with work around the house. Samsung Bot Handy will be able to tell the difference between the material composition of various objects, utilizing the appropriate amount of force to grab and move around household items and objects, working as your trusted partner to help with house chores like cleaning up messy rooms or sorting out the dishes after a meal.

Looking to the future, Samsung is also developing other tangible applications of AI technologies for daily life. Samsung is continuing to build on its Samsung Bot Retail, which would guide users outside the home in retail environments, and GEMS, Samsung’s health-focused exoskeleton as mobility aide. These innovations allow robots and robotic devices to co-exist with humans, enhancing their lives and catering to a variety of lifestyles and different environments.

Technology for a Better Future

Samsung closed its CES 2021 press conference by sharing more on the brand’s vision for how technology can enable progress and create a better tomorrow for all. Samsung believes that there is no single all-encompassing solution; a sustainable future requires investments across a broad spectrum. That’s why Samsung is focused on three key areas that are poised to benefit the most from technological innovation: sustainability, education, and accessibility.

“At Samsung, we are always looking for ways to build a better, more sustainable future,” said Sandeep Rana, Senior Manager, Environmental Sustainability Specialist at Samsung, who shared Samsung’s sustainability message at the press conference. “With a focus on the environment, people and society, we will continue to provide our consumers with responsible tools and technologies to address our challenges today and enable a better future for all.”

As part of its commitment to creating a circular economy, Samsung is developing programs and packaging solutions that promote a sustainable product lifecycle—from beginning to end:

• Galaxy Upcycling at Home: At the event, Samsung announced an update to its Galaxy Upcycling program called Galaxy Upcycling at Home. The new program reimagines the lifecycle of an older Galaxy phone and offers consumers options on how they might be able to repurpose their device to create a variety of convenient IoT tools.
• TV Eco Packaging: Additionally, Samsung announced that its eco-packaging would expand to QLED, UHD TV, monitor, and audio products in 2021. As part of an ongoing commitment to eco-consciousness, Samsung is creating products and solutions with sustainability at the core. For example, Samsung’s new Solar Cell Remote Control—made in part with recycled plastic—can be charged via solar or indoor lighting, reducing battery waste.

Believing that future generations will play a critical role in building a sustainable future, Samsung has also prioritized technology education through Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, which encourages young people to creatively use technology to solve community challenges, and Samsung Innovation Campus, which helps students develop technical and personal skills for future jobs.

Samsung also highlighted at the event how it is making its products even more inclusive and accessible for all. The SeeColors application is designed to help those with color vision deficiency (CVD) to adjust the settings on their 2021 QLED TVs for a better viewing experience, and the Sign Language Zoom feature on TVs ensures that everyone, regardless of ability, can easily enjoy cutting-edge technology.

Lastly, understanding how challenging it can be to strike a balance between our digital and analog lives, Samsung presented the Digital Wellbeing feature, designed to help people take control and manage their digital time—so they can use technology to better our lives and empower ourselves.

For more information, images or video on the products Samsung announced at CES 2021, please visit http://news.samsung.com/us/ces2021.

Disclaimer: All functionality, features, specifications, and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation. Availability of the above-mentioned products, services, and features may vary by region.           

¹ 160 free channels for Samsung TV Plus are available for US users only. The Service availability may vary by region and product.

² Availability of MICRO LED TV will vary by region.

³ Available on Android and iOS devices. A Wi-Fi connection and a Samsung account are required.

⁴ Specific features available may vary by region and product.

⁵ SmartThings Pet is currently available only in Korea. Announcements regarding service availability in other regions have not been made at this time.

⁶ Samsung Bot Care is not currently available for sale. The described functions and technical capabilities have been demonstrated in test settings.

⁷ Samsung Bot Handy is not currently available for sale. The described functions and technical capabilities have been demonstrated in test settings.

The post Samsung Introduces Latest Innovations for a Better Normal at CES 2021 appeared first on Samsung US Newsroom.

Samsung Electronics America, Inc. today announced the 75 Semi-Finalists in the 11^th annual $2 million* Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest, a nationwide education competition that challenges 6-12^th grade students and their teachers to creatively use STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills to address a community challenge. The competition fosters critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills among thousands of students across the country as they solve current issues of national importance in their local communities.

Public school teachers nationwide submitted proposals outlining a local challenge, as well as how students will use STEM to address the problem, the solution idea they will build, and the potential impact on the community. Semi-Finalists have been recognized for their creative and strategic proposals to solve current problems such as food insecurity, human trafficking and water quality. Each Semi-Finalist school – spanning rural and urban areas – will receive $15,000 to be redeemed on DonorsChoose.org as well as a Samsung Galaxy Note20 to execute their project this school year, whether they are engaging in a virtual, in-person or hybrid teaching environment.

“Students and teachers across the country, regardless of classroom format, are rising to the occasion to creatively use STEM to address some of the greatest issues impacting their generation, from social justice, to pandemic-related solutions,” said Ann Woo, Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics America. “These students are facing unchartered challenges with stoic determination and using creative problem-solving skills to succeed. We are proud to unveil the schools in this year’s Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest and look forward to seeing their proposed solutions and innovations come to life.”

In addition to receiving $15,000 to be redeemed on DonorsChoose.org and a Samsung Galaxy Note20, each Semi-Finalist school will record a video to showcase their project and has the potential to advance through future phases of the contest to win additional prizes and educational opportunities. The remaining phases of the competition include:

• 10 National Finalist schools will be selected later this spring to participate in the virtual pitch event where they will present their project to a panel of judges. For achieving National Finalist status, seven of these schools will be awarded $65,000 in technology and classroom materials while the remaining three will be named National Winners.
  • Public voting will also determine two Community Choice winners from the pool of National Finalists, who will be eligible to win an additional $15,000 in Samsung technology.
• Three National Winner schools will each receive the grand prize of $130,000 in classroom technology and supplies for their achievement.

Samsung has increased the prize value for Semi-Finalist, National Finalist and National Winner schools**. This year, Samsung has also recognized 25 schools as Honorable Mention recipients for the strong promise their ideas showed. Each Honorable Mention school will receive a Samsung Galaxy Note20.

Aligned with Samsung’s guiding vision of ‘Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People’, Solve for Tomorrow was created in 2010 to encourage innovative thinking, creative problem-solving and teamwork to address the most pressing issues impacting society. Today, the competition is anchored in problem-based learning, fostering critical thinking and creative problem solving. For the past decade, Samsung has awarded $18 million in technology and classroom materials to more than 2,500 public schools in the United States.

For a full list of Semi-Finalist and Honorable Mention schools, please visit www.samsung.com/solve or follow on Instagram @SolveForTomorrow. For official rules and judging criteria, click here.

*$2 million prize is based on an estimated retail value.

**Prize pools have been increased from: $10,000 to $15,000 for Semi-Finalists, $50,000 to $65,000 for National Finalists and $100,000 to $130,000 for National Winner schools. Community choice winner prizes will increase from $10,000 to $15,000 and will be awarded to two National Finalist schools.

The post 75 Schools Awarded in Samsung’s $2 Million National STEM Competition appeared first on Samsung US Newsroom.