51 Public Schools Named State Winners in $2 Million* Samsung STEAM Learning Contest
Samsung Awards State Winners with $25,000* in Technology to Compete in Next Phase of the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest
RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J., January 11, 2017 /3BL Media/ – Samsung Electronics America (SEA) announced the 51 state winners of the 7th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest – a nationwide competition that challenges students to use STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) skills to affect real-world change.
Teachers from schools across the country submitted lesson plans detailing how their students will use STEAM skills to solve a problem in their local community – from building a solar farm to reduce coal energy dependence, to developing an app to prevent children from being left behind in hot cars, and designing a sensory-stimulating outdoor playground for fellow students with Autism.
Selected from a pool of thousands of schools who entered, only 51 were named state winners – representing every state and the District of Columbia. State winners were chosen based on the creativity of their overall concept and plan for execution, in addition to effectively piquing student interest in STEAM subjects. As state winners, each of the schools will receive $25,000* in technology to compete in the next phase of the contest.
Furthermore, to ensure students and teachers have the necessary materials to bring their projects to life, Samsung is collaborating with Indiegogo to help schools raise funds online. To kick off the crowdfunding campaigns, Samsung will provide a seed donation of $250 toward each school project, and match up to an additional $250. In addition, students will be able to effect even greater change in their local communities by selecting and advocating for a local charity of choice, inspired by their project’s purpose, in an effort to win a donation on its behalf.
“Each Solve for Tomorrow state winner school has presented a challenge unique to their hometowns, but most of those challenges have implications across the globe.” said Ann Woo, director of corporate citizenship, Samsung Electronics America. “While others might see the threats posed to environmental conservation, health and wellness, and sustainable living as insurmountable problems, these students and teachers see an opportunity for change. We’re delighted to support each school as they take these complex challenges head-on with STEAM learning.”
In the next phase of the contest, using their Samsung ATIV Book 9 Pro, state winners will submit a three-minute video that demonstrates their project– from planning to execution – to affect tangible change and solve a local community issue using STEAM.
Teachers at each school will have until mid-February to submit their video for review by a panel of judges, and for the opportunity to proceed in the following phases of the contest:
- Next, from the pool of 51 state finalists, 10 schools will be selected as national finalists to present their projects live to a panel of judges in New York City in early 2017.
- And finally, three national grand prize winners and one community choice winner will be selected in the spring of 2017.
The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest was created in 2010 to encourage innovation while addressing the technology gap in classrooms across the country. Each year, the competition inspires more active, hands-on teaching and learning among schools nationwide. Since 2004, Samsung has provided more than $19 million in technology to more than 1,000 public schools in the United States.
For a full list of state winner schools, please visit: www.samsung.com/solve.
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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.
About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, cameras, digital appliances, medical equipment, network systems, and semiconductor and LED solutions. For the latest news, please visit Samsung Newsroom at http://news.samsung.com.
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