Newberry High School in Newberry, SC has been named one of 50 State Winners in the 14th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition, receiving a $12,000 prize package. Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is a national competition designed to empower students in grades 6-12 to leverage the power of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) to create innovative solutions addressing critical issues in their local communities.
· The competition empowers public middle and high school students to catalyze change by applying Problem-based Learning (PBL) principles, environmental stewardship, and entrepreneurship to address some of society's most pressing challenges.
· Gen Zers participating in this year’s competition have boldly entered their game-changing ideas to address the climate crisis, accessibility, mental health issues like anxiety, the preservation of endangered crops, protection of indigenous languages, and more. The full list of 50 State Winners can be found here.
STEM skills are key to a thriving workforce and new approaches in education are vital. Between 2022 and 2032, the number of STEM jobs will grow 10.8%, a higher rate than non-STEM jobs (2.8). Yet national test scores among American schoolchildren in math (and reading) continue to show troubling declines. Samsung Solve for Tomorrow was designed to boost interest, proficiency, and diversity in STEM.
Each State Winner will receive a video production kit from Samsung to help document their project and produce a three-minute video demonstrating how they are using STEM to address the community issue raised in their lesson plan. The video submission deadline is Thursday, March 7, 2024 by 11:59 p.m. ET.
· One of 50 State Winners will be recognized as visionaries for driving sustainable change through STEM innovation with a Sustainability Innovation Award, and an additional $50K prize package that includes Samsung ENERGY STAR® technology.
· One State Winner will be selected for the new Rising Entrepreneurship Award, receiving a $25K prize package to foster the development of a scalable, sustainable venture that extend beyond the competition.
· 10 National Finalist Schools will participate in a live pitch event where they will present their project to a panel of judges. Seven of these schools will be awarded $50K in Samsung tech and classroom supplies.
· A Community Choice Winner will also be determined through online voting by the general public, winning an additional $10K in prizes.
· An Employee Choice Winner will be selected by Samsung employees to receive an additional $10K in prizes.
Judges will name 3 National Winners, each of whom earns a prize package worth $100K. For more information on the competition/competition phases, go here.
The following individuals are available for media interviews:
§ Ann Woo, Head of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics America
§ Heather Alexander, the teacher who guided the STEM project, and the Newberry High School students
§ Samsung Solve for Tomorrow: For questions about Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, please reach out to Nancy Zakhary: SamsungSFT@relev8.co.