STEM Students to Nation – “We’ve Got This” – Proposing Solutions for Low-cost Assistive Technology, Heat Stroke in Sports, and the Pollinator Collapse

Samsung Electronics America, Inc., today named the three National Winners of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, the nationwide competition for public middle and high school students that awards $2 million annually in prizes to teams demonstrating how they use STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills to create positive change and address pressing issues in their local communities. The winning schools from Delaware, Florida, and Texas – selected from 10 National Finalists – each receive $100,000 in Samsung technology and school supplies, while the remaining seven Finalists receive $50,000 per school.

The three National Winners – Brandywine High School (Wilmington, DE); Strawberry Crest High School (Dover, FL); and Porter High School (Porter, TX) – were announced by Samsung Electronics America President and CEO KS Choi at today’s celebration in Washington D.C. U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia and U.S. Senator Todd Young of Indiana also attended the event as they were honored with STEM Champion Awards from Samsung in recognition of their efforts to advance STEM pursuits in their states.

Joining Choi and the Senators to honor the winners and all competitors were speakers including Mark Lippert, Samsung Electronics North America Executive Vice President of Public Affairs, and, past Solve for Tomorrow winners, Paula Labbe, Robotics Teacher at Great Bridge High School, Virginia, and Daniella Gonzales, student at Princeton High School, New Jersey.

“Samsung Solve for Tomorrow gives us a front-row view of the tremendous potential of this upcoming generation of STEM thinkers and do-ers,” said Ann Woo, Senior Director, Corporate Citizenship, Samsung Electronics America. “Their ingenuity in developing creative solutions to community problems and their commitment in bringing projects from idea to reality are truly inspiring. We invite everyone to join us in celebrating these young STEM champions, and all the teams that have participated in Solve for Tomorrow. They represent the vibrant future of the STEM community that is so vital to tech companies like ours.”

All 10 Finalists had pitched their STEM solutions yesterday at the Samsung Solutions Center in Washington to a panel of judges that included another Solve for Tomorrow alumni teacher, Harry Preston of Baltimore’s Green Street Academy. The Finalists and guests were welcomed by speakers including Alix Guerrier, CEO of DonorsChoose, nonprofit crowdfunding platform for educators and a Solve for Tomorrow partner. Video of the students’ presentations can be viewed here.

U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia

The three grand prize-winning STEM solutions are:

Brandywine High School (Wilmington, DE)

Strawberry Crest High School (Dover, FL)

Porter High School (Porter, TX)

Richmond Hill Middle School students and teacher with U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia

Bloomington High School South students and teacher with US Senator Todd Young of Indiana

Moreover, three additional honors were awarded at the event:

• Bloomington High School South (Bloomington, IN) was honored as our Sustainability Innovation Award Winner, receiving an added $50,000 prize package of eco-conscious Samsung technology. Their STEM solution, Temp Mural, reduces the impact of global warming by engineering mural art using highly reflective, climate-positive barium sulfate paint.
• Richmond Hill Middle School (Richmond, GA) was selected through online public voting and was named Community Choice Winner, earning an added $10,000 prize package. Designed with veterans in mind, their community project, Safe Sleep, detects sudden increases in heart rate during a PTSD nightmare and triggers a companion app to play breathing exercises.
• Samsung employees named Brandywine High School (Wilmington, DE) the Employee Choice Winner, and they received an added $10,000 prize on top of their $100,000 National Winner earnings.

The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Winners and Finalists represented the very best of more than one thousand competition entrants who worked on their projects across the school year, advancing through multiple levels of the competition. Across award categories, including State Finalists and State Winners, more than $2 million* in prize packages was distributed this year. Since Solve for Tomorrow’s inception in 2010, Samsung has donated $24 million in tech and classroom supplies to 2,800+ schools across every state in the U.S.

U.S. Senator Todd Young of Indiana

To learn more about the national STEM competition, please visit www.samsung.com/solve or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

*$2 million prize is based on an estimated retail value.