Samsung Announces Launch of 12th Annual Solve for Tomorrow Contest

Teachers can apply for a chance to win a share of $2 million in technology and supplies for their schools through STEM learning

Samsung today announced the launch of its 12^th annual $2 million* Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest, which challenges U.S. students in grades 6–12 to use STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) to tackle local issues of national importance in a sustainable way. Now through November 8, 2021, public school teachers across the U.S. can apply** for this year’s program and submit their activity plans that enable students to inspire real-world change to address critical issues in their communities using problem-based learning.

Samsung is furthering its commitment to sustainability through several company initiatives this year, and the Solve for Tomorrow Contest is no different. This year’s applicants are encouraged to use responsibly sourced materials in their prototypes and align their project ideas with the United Nation’s sustainable development goals (SDGs). The judging rubric for this year’s contest will also include a component that will evaluate factors such as the sustainability of the project idea over time.

“The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest was founded more than a decade ago as an environmental program. While it has since evolved to make room for the other issues that the next generation is most passionate about such as mental health and student safety, we want to keep the environment in mind through this contest that aims to promote meaningful change,” said Ann Woo, Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics America. “We have seen the incredible projects that have emerged from the minds of students through this contest, and we cannot wait to see the ideas that come to life this year that will undoubtedly ignite lasting impact on communities while reducing our collective impact on the planet.”

Solve for Tomorrow will award $2 million* in technology and supplies to classrooms as they advance throughout the contest, all redeemable through DonorsChoose.org. As part of the strive for sustainability, Samsung will encourage schools to select Samsung Energy Star products as part of their packages. Once lesson plans are submitted, schools will have the opportunity to move ahead to the following phases:

• 100 State Winners from the pool of applicants will be awarded $6,500 in Samsung technology and supplies for classroom use along with a video kit to help them with the next phase of their project
• From there, 10 National Finalist Schools will be selected to participate in the 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 Winner schools will each receive $100,000 in classroom technology and supplies
• Of the top ten schools, 1 Community Choice Winner will also be determined through online public voting and will be eligible to win an additional $10,000 in Samsung technology, as well as 1 Employee Choice Winner determined by Samsung employee votes to win an additional $10,000

“The competition’s premise of solving a real-world problem in our community was so motivating to my students – they loved that the technology they built will help clean up the city they call home and that it brought our community together,” said Allie Langwald, teacher at Hope of Detroit Academy, 2021 Solve for Tomorrow National Winner. “It is so rewarding as an educator to see students’ excitement to learn through hands-on, problem-based education, and I’m grateful to Samsung for inspiring these students to leave a brighter future for the students of tomorrow.”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 $20 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 November 8, 2021.

*$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.