Fifteen Public Schools Named as National Finalists in the $2 Million Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest

Schools across the country from Florida to Washington selected for final phase of national STEM learning contest to present their projects at SXSWedu
Feb 25, 2014 12:00 PM ET

RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J., February 25, 2014 /3BL Media/ - Fifteen public schools from across the country – Washington, D.C., Florida, Idaho, Maine, Maryland, Montana, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, Nevada, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Washington – have won $35,000* in technology as national finalists in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest, the company’s commitment to raise interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) learning across America.

As part of the final phase of the contest, these 15 schools will be invited to present their projects in person at the South by Southwest Education Conference (SXSWedu) in Austin on March 3. Three grand prize winners will be chosen by a panel of judges; a fourth will be chosen by Samsung employees; and a fifth, the Community Choice Award winner, will be determined by public online voting. The grand prize winners receive $140,000* in technology and an invitation to a special awards ceremony on April 16 in Washington, D.C.

Online voting for the Community Choice winner is open until 11:59 p.m. EST, March 14, 2014, at Samsung.com/solve.

“We congratulate these winners on the quality and creativity of their projects,” said David Steel, executive vice president of Samsung Electronics North America. “Not only have they impressed us with what they are capable of, they have made us very excited about what they will accomplish in the future by harnessing the STEM skills and community-based learning they have gained from participating in this contest.”

Now in its fourth year, more than 2,300 schools from across the country applied to this contest. Samsung created Solve for Tomorrow to get students and teachers excited about STEM by challenging them to apply their classroom learning to solve a real-world issue in their local community. Some of the unique ways they have done this is analyzing crime data to find the safest routes to school in an urban community and helping restore the health of a local bay through an oyster reef.

Since 2004, Samsung’s education programs have contributed more than $13 million* in technology to more than 500 public schools in the United States. Samsung continues to support children’s education by providing tools that empower young people to learn through a variety of STEM initiatives, including the company’s Mobile Application Academies and a partnership with the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF).

You can download the 15 national finalist videos via the links below.

 

School

City, State

Video Submission

Howard Dilworth Woodson STEM High School

Washington, D.C.

http://www.samsung.com/us/solvefortomorrow/projects/lighting-up-a-community.html

G.W. Carver Middle School

Miami, FL

http://www.samsung.com/us/solvefortomorrow/projects/old-smokeys-dirty-secret.html

Sandcreek Middle School

Ammon, ID

http://www.samsung.com/us/solvefortomorrow/projects/earthquake-protection.html

Frank H. Harrison Middle School

Yarmouth, ME

http://www.samsung.com/us/solvefortomorrow/projects/taking-care-of-crabiness.html

Worcester Technical High School

Newark, MD

http://www.samsung.com/us/solvefortomorrow/projects/diagnosing-a-hospital.html

Sunburst Jr. High School

Sunburst, MT

http://www.samsung.com/us/solvefortomorrow/projects/blowing-away-alkali.html

New Bridge Middle School

Jacksonville, NC

http://www.samsung.com/us/solvefortomorrow/projects/freshening-the-waters.html

King Science and Technology Magnet Center

Omaha, NE

http://www.samsung.com/us/solvefortomorrow/projects/growing-and-donating-fresh-produce.html

Oliver Street School

Newark, NJ

http://www.samsung.com/us/solvefortomorrow/projects/guarding-the-water-supply.html

Elko Institute for Academic Achievement

Elko, NV

http://www.samsung.com/us/solvefortomorrow/projects/clearing-the-air.html

El Reno High School

El Reno, OK

http://www.samsung.com/us/solvefortomorrow/projects/braving-the-storms.html

Academy at Palumbo

Philadelphia, PA

http://www.samsung.com/us/solvefortomorrow/projects/finding-the-safest-route.html

Vermillion Middle School

Vermillion, SD

http://www.samsung.com/us/solvefortomorrow/projects/fishing-for-population-data.html

Bailey STEM Magnet Middle School

Nashville, TN

http://www.samsung.com/us/solvefortomorrow/projects/reducing-carbon-footprints.html

East Valley High School

Yakima, WA

http://www.samsung.com/us/solvefortomorrow/projects/cooling-off-a-region.html

 

To learn more about the contest or past winners, please visit www.samsung.com/solve.

To download B-roll of students using Samsung technology, please go to http://www.tinyb.it/530B3D84B31A7.

* 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.