10 Schools Across the Country Named Finalists in the $2 Million* Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest

Students and teachers travel to New York City to pitch their STEM
inventions in the final event

RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today, Samsung Electronics America, Inc., announced the 10 national
finalists in the 9th annual Samsung
Solve for Tomorrow Contest. The nationwide competition challenges
students in grades 6-12 to use STEM (science, technology, engineering
and math) skills to address local issues and inspire change in their
communities. Each national finalist school will receive $50,000* in
Samsung technology and classroom supplies, and a trip to the National
Finalist Pitch Event in New York City to compete for the grand prize.


The topics addressed by students around the U.S. are some of the biggest
issues the country is facing today – from reducing the carbon footprint
to securing classrooms during a school shooting. Fifty state winner
schools submitted a three-minute video showcasing how their projects
address a critical community issue, and the top 10 national finalists
were selected for their ingenuity.


“From school safety to climate change, these students experienced
challenges that affect our nation as a whole, but rather than sitting on
the sidelines, they have become changemakers,” said Ann Woo, Senior
Director of Corporate Citizenship, Samsung Electronics America. “Samsung
Solve for Tomorrow challenges students to create high-impact, functional
solutions. Each of these national finalists answered the call beyond our
imaginations, and we look forward to seeing their world-changing STEM
innovations in action this April.”


Student representatives from the 10 national finalist schools will
travel to New York City to pitch their projects to a panel of judges at
Samsung 837 on Monday, April 1 and share their ideas with the public at
the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum on Tuesday, April 2. Judges will
select three national grand prize winners who will receive $100,000* in
technology and classroom supplies for their school. At the Intrepid
Museum, the national finalists will join other students and educators,
technologists, and NGO leaders for educational sessions, networking and
demonstrations to further explore the difference STEM can make in their
lives. In addition, all 40 state winner teachers will receive an
invitation to attend and participate in professional development
opportunities and workshops that can impact future STEM projects.


Using social media voting, the general public will also elect one
Community Choice Winner from the pool of national finalists to receive
an additional $10,000* in Samsung technology for their school. Anyone
throughout the country can vote on social media for their favorite
school and project. To participate, simply view the videos on the Samsung
Solve for Tomorrow website, then cast a vote once a day, before
voting closes at 11:59 p.m. EST on March 27, 2019.


The 10 national finalists in the 9th annual Samsung Solve for
Tomorrow Contest are:


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


School


 


City, State


 


STEM Project


 


Video


Los Altos High School


 


Hacienda Heights, California


 


Constructed an affordable and environmentally-safe trap to combat
the increase in Tiger Mosquitoes carrying incurable diseases


 


https://youtu.be/aMBFYR8hb8s


Concord High School


 


Wilmington, Delaware


 


Designed assistive learning devices to help students with
disabilities succeed in the classroom


 


https://youtu.be/FrUjFh5vZqs


Goddard High School


 


Goddard, Kansas


 


Designed a GPS-enabled device for at-risk foster children to contact
authorities in case of an emergency


 


https://youtu.be/79EJJTKw3hI


ENLACE at Lawrence High School


 


Lawrence, Massachusetts


 


Designed a device to help prevent natural gas explosions that
recently destroyed local homes


 


https://youtu.be/U3P10Fcr0Hg


Owensville High School


 


Owensville, Missouri


 


Designed a lock to quickly secure a classroom in the event of a
school shooting


 


https://youtu.be/eQ3bkoOzrCY


Holly Grove Middle School


 


Holly Springs, North Carolina


 


Created a smart school bus stop sign to alert drivers before the bus
arrives to help prevent pedestrian accidents


 


https://youtu.be/sOHxZvsAg9s


Northern Cass Middle School


 


Hunter, North Dakota


 


Developed an app that modernizes the 911 system by using video to
prepare first responders before they arrive on the scene


 


https://youtu.be/rDRz2Ci_FK0


Fairfield High School


 


Fairfield, Ohio


 


Created an app-controlled and solar-powered car defrosting device to
reduce carbon dioxide emissions


 


https://youtu.be/ayntI7ZT0jw


Richland Two Institute of Innovation


 


Columbia, South Carolina


 


Created electromagnetic door locks and curtains to quickly secure
classrooms in the event of a school shooting


 


https://youtu.be/gJvMVsGHiE8


Deep Creek Middle School


 


Chesapeake, Virginia


 


Created a website and app for high-need students with poor vision to
access free prescription glasses


 


https://youtu.be/VF_nNUnuY18




 




 




 




Each of the 50 state winners also collaborated with Samsung employees
who volunteered to advise on projects and offer their expertise as
project mentors. These mentors participated in informative webinars, Q&A
sessions, one-on-one Skype conversations, in-person meetings and more to
help expand prototype possibilities.


The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest was launched in 2009 to encourage
innovation among young students while addressing the technology gap in
classrooms across the country. This contest has since provided more than
$23 million in technology to more than 1,700 schools nationwide.


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


*Estimated Retail Value


About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.


Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, N.J., Samsung Electronics America,
Inc. (SEA), is a recognized innovative leader in consumer electronics,
mobile devices and enterprise solutions. A wholly owned subsidiary of
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., SEA is pushing beyond the limits of
today’s technology and providing consumers and organizations with a
portfolio of groundbreaking products in appliances, home entertainment,
Internet of Things, mobile computing, smartphones, virtual reality,
wireless infrastructure and wearables, in addition to offering leading
content and services related to mobile payments, 360-degree VR video,
customer support and more. Samsung is a pioneering leader in smartphones
and HDTVs in the U.S. and one of America’s fastest growing home
appliance brands. To discover more about Samsung, please visit www.samsung.com.
For the latest Samsung news, please visit news.samsung.com/us and
follow us @SamsungNewsUS


Contacts

Brenna EllerSamsung Electronics America201-543-4615b.eller@sea.samsung.com
Olivia
GustAllison+Partners for Samsung503-290-7304SamsungSFT@allisonpr.com