10 Schools Named Finalists in the $2 Million* Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest for Using STEAM to Improve Their Communities
Students and teachers advance in the 8th annual contest; Travel to New York City to compete in the final event
10 Schools Named Finalists in the $2 Million* Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contes…
RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J., March 1, 2018 /3BL Media/ - Today, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. announced the 10 national finalists in the 8th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest, a nationwide competition that challenges students in grades 6-12 to creatively use STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) skills to address real-world issues and inspire change in their local communities. The 10 national finalists in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest will receive a minimum of $50,000* in Samsung technology for their school and a trip to the final pitch event in New York City.
This year, students have chosen to focus on issues commonly found in their local communities that also represent nationally relevant needs. The themes of kindness and empathy, health and safety, and environmental solutions led the winning ideas for the finalists, including an app-based outdoor home fire extinguishing sprinkler system to contain wildfires and a device that allows first responders to safely collect hazardous needles left behind by opioid and other drug users. These student inventions show how STEAM learning can take a simple idea to the next level, empowering students to reach a new potential and make a difference.
“Our goal each year is to inspire a new set of students to go beyond what they thought was possible, what they thought they were capable of creating,” said Ann Woo, Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship, Samsung Electronics America. “These national finalists represent hundreds of students and teachers who have worked determinedly to change the reality of their community as they see it. We are so excited for these ten national finalist schools and the journey that lies for them ahead.”
Next, the national finalists will compete before a panel of judges in New York City and three national winners will be named, each receiving a $150,000* Samsung technology grant for their school.
Based on online public voting, a Community Choice winner will also receive an additional $20,000* in Samsung technology for their school. Anyone throughout the country can vote for their favorite school and project. To participate, simply view the videos on the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow website, then cast a vote on the website between 9:01 a.m. ET on Thursday, March 1, 2018 and 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, April 2, 2018.
As a new addition to the contest this year, Samsung employees from senior engineers to app developers are volunteering as project mentors and have offered their expertise to all of the 51 state winners. Mentors have committed to host informative webinars, Q&A sessions, one-on-one video-conference conversations and more to help encourage broader thinking and expand on prototype possibilities.
This year’s 10 national finalists are:
|
School |
City, State |
STEAM Project & Video |
|
Ashland Middle School |
Ashland, KY |
Created a device that allows first responders to safely collect hazardous needles left behind by opioid and other drug users |
|
Cavallini Middle School |
Upper Saddle River, NJ |
Developed software and sensors for football helmets to quickly and more accurately identify potential concussions |
|
Clear Creek Middle School |
Gresham, OR |
Developed a rooftop hatch with an integrated SOS alert that allows residents to safely escape through the attic and signal rescuers during hurricane floods |
|
Gering High School |
Gering, NE |
Created a filtration system for home appliances to help purify the community water supply that is polluted with microplastics |
|
Kent Career Tech Center |
Grand Rapids, MI |
Created a virtual reality app that empowers educators and families to help students with Autism develop classroom social skills |
|
Lee County Middle School |
Leesburg, GA |
Developed a device that notifies authorities when a farming tractor rolls over to ensure a timely emergency response to help the farmer in need |
|
Noble High School |
North Berwick, ME |
Developed a water filtration system that will remove elevated levels of manganese found in the local water supply |
|
Omro High School |
Omro, WI |
Constructed an energy-efficient window shade to heat and cool their school which lacks an AC system |
|
Santiago High School
|
Corona, CA |
Constructed an app-based outdoor home fire extinguishing sprinkler system to contain wildfires and help save lives and homes |
|
Thomas Jefferson Middle School |
Winston-Salem, NC |
Built a water sensor and barrier system that deploys when water reaches unsafe levels to mitigate the effects of flooding |
The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest was created in 2010 to encourage innovation among young students while addressing the technology gap in classrooms across the country. Since 2001, Samsung has provided more than $60 million to more than 1,200 public schools and community organizations in the United States through its many citizenship initiatives.
To learn more, please visit www.samsung.com/solve or follow the contest on Instagram @SolveForTomorrow.
*Estimated Retail Value
About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, N.J., Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), is a recognized innovative leader in consumer electronics, mobile devices and enterprise solutions. A wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., SEA is pushing beyond the limits of today’s technology and providing consumers and organizations with a portfolio of groundbreaking products in appliances, home entertainment, Internet of Things, mobile computing, smartphones, virtual reality, wireless infrastructure and wearables, in addition to offering leading content and services related to mobile payments, 360-degree VR video, customer support and more. Samsung is a pioneering leader in smartphones and HDTVs in the U.S. and one of America’s fastest growing home appliance brands. To discover more about Samsung, please visit www.samsung.com. For the latest Samsung news, please visit news.samsung.com/us and follow us @SamsungNewsUS.
CONTACT:
Brenna Eller
Samsung Electronics America
201-543-4615
b.eller@sea.samsung.com
Megan Carroll
Allison+Partners for Samsung
646-428-0625
SamsungSFT@allisonpr.com
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