255 Schools Nationwide Named State Finalists in $2 Million Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest
Five schools in every state and Washington, D.C. will be awarded tablets, and more than 3,100 teachers will receive a professional development class from PBS TeacherLine
RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J., November 12, 2014 – Samsung today announced the 255 state finalists in the Solve for Tomorrow Contest, a nationwide competition to raise enthusiasm for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) by challenging students and teachers to tackle critical issues across the country. Five schools in each state, and the District of Columbia, will each receive two Galaxy Tab® 4s and the opportunity to move on in the competition and win additional prizes. The full list of state finalists is available at samsung.com/solve.
The 255 state finalists were chosen from a pool of more than 3,100 teachers for their approach to exploring how STEM subjects address issues that affect their lives and their regions, ranging from water pollution to health and safety. In addition to technology, each of the entrants received a professional development class from PBS TeacherLine.
“At Samsung, we believe that community-based learning can be a powerful tool for getting kids interested in science, technology, engineering and math, and we’re excited to see so many teachers who thought hard about how to apply STEM to local problems,” said David Steel, executive vice president of Samsung Electronics North America. “We congratulate this year’s state finalists, and all of the Solve for Tomorrow entrants, on their ideas to help improve their communities while engaging the leaders of tomorrow.”
In the next phase of the contest, the state finalists will submit lesson plans on how they plan to address the issue they identified in their neighborhood using STEM skills. From that pool, 51 state winners (representing all 50 states and Washington, D.C.) will be selected, then 15 will be named national finalists and present their projects to a live panel of judges in March. Five national grand prize winners will then be selected by a panel of judges, Samsung employees and public online voters.
Additionally, three special awards will be given to contestants in the 51 state winner pool for their pioneering use of math, environmental innovation or civic engagement by DIRECTV, the National Environmental Education Foundation and Digital Promise, respectively. During the competition, approximately $2 million* of prizes will be presented by Samsung, Adobe, DIRECTV, Fortune, PBS TeacherLine, the National Environmental Education Foundation and Digital Promise.
The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest was created in 2010 to encourage innovation while addressing the technology gap in classrooms across the country. The competition is a Samsung Solve for Tomorrow initiative which aims to engage students nationwide in active, hands-on STEM learning. Since 2010, Samsung has invested more than $17 million in support of STEM education to schools, students and teachers across the United States.
To learn more about the competition and past winners, please visit: http://www.samsung.com/solve
*Estimated Retail Value
About Samsung Electronics North America
Samsung Electronics North America (NAHQ), based in Ridgefield Park, NJ, is an arm of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. The company markets a broad range of award-winning consumer electronics, information systems, and home appliance products, as well as oversees all of Samsung’s North American brand management including Samsung Electronics America, Inc., Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC and Samsung Electronics Canada, Inc. As a result of its commitment to innovation and unique design, Samsung is one of the most decorated brands in the electronics industry. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com. You can also Fan Samsung on www.facebook.com/SamsungUSA or follow Samsung via Twitter @SamsungTweets.
About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in technology, opening new possibilities for people everywhere. Through relentless innovation and discovery, we are transforming the worlds of televisions, smartphones, tablets, personal computers, cameras, home appliances, printers, LTE systems, medical devices, semiconductors and LED solutions. We employ 286,000 people across 80 countries with annual sales of US$216.7 billion. To discover more, please visit www.samsung.com
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