Samsung Canada is proud to announce the winners of its 2024–2025 Solve for Tomorrow program,[1], an annual nationwide competition that invites Canadian youth in grades 6-12 to ideate solutions to address pressing challenges in their communities using science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). This year’s competition focused on supporting a sustainable environment, building equity for equity-seeking groups, and improving health in our communities.

After months of research, ideation and collaboration, four National Finalist teams presented their innovative projects on May 28, 2025 live at Samsung Canada Headquarters in Mississauga, Ontario to a panel of expert judges.

“The Solve for Tomorrow program embodies our dedication to education, innovation, and social impact by empowering students to tackle real-world challenges in their communities,” said Brian Shin, President and CEO of Samsung Electronics Canada. “Congratulations to all the incredibly talented winners of Solve for Tomorrow. We’re thrilled to be building a future together where innovation and technology create positive impact.

Ontario Premier, Doug Ford, and Ontario Minister of Education, Paul Calandra, also shared messages of congratulations and support:

“I want to send a big congratulations to all the finalists from the Samsung Electronics Canada Solve for Tomorrow Program,” said Premier Ford, “Ontario is committed to preparing for the next generation of leaders, to tackle the challenges of tomorrow. Together we’ll continue to build a stronger, more prosperous future for all.”

“Congratulations to the winners of this year’s competition and to everyone who took part—this is a great opportunity for you to showcase your STEM skills and expand your knowledge and experience,” said Minister Calandra. “Our government will continue to focus on a back-to-basics approach in our schools to ensure you’re ready for the jobs of tomorrow. I look forward to seeing how far you’ll go to help change our world for the better.”

The 2024–2025 Solve for Tomorrow winners are:

First Place + School for Tomorrow Title: Aldershot School (Burlington, ON)

Prize: $50,000 in Samsung technology vouchers to support continued STEM learning. This school also earns the School for Tomorrow title, recognizing their outstanding leadership in innovative education.

Second Place: : STEM Innovation Academy High School (Calgary, AB)

Prize: $10,000 in Samsung technology vouchers.

Third Place: Elsie MacGill Secondary School (Milton, ON)

Prize: $10,000 in Samsung technology vouchers.

Fan Favourite Award: STEM Innovation Academy High School

Prize: $5,000 in Samsung technology vouchers. This award was voted by the public and celebrates community impact and engagement.

Since 2015, Solve for Tomorrow is a cornerstone of Samsung Canada’s global citizenship commitment to education, AI innovation, and youth development. Since its launch, Samsung Canada has engaged with over 40,000 students and 1,500 schools nationwide, investing over $1,000,000 in classroom technology, grants and mentorship.

To learn more about Solve for Tomorrow and explore this year’s winning projects, visit www.samsung.com/ca/solve

[1] Terms and Conditions apply. The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest begins on12:00:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (“EST”) on Tuesday, October 15, 2024 and ends at 11:59:59 p.m. EST on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.Open to residents of Canada who are twenty one (21) years of age or older and are currently employed as full-time teachers in a public Middle School, Junior High School, or High School, grades 6-12, including Charter Schools that are 50% or more publicly funded in Canada. All Canadian publicly funded schools are eligible to participate. Schools that are publicly funded but outside of the provincially-run school board/district/division system, such as Charter Schools in Alberta and Federally-funded schools in FNMI communities, are eligible to apply if they meet the grade requirements. A full-time teacher, as defined above, is eligible to enter the Contest as part of a team with at least one (1) or more students up to a maximum of fifty (50) students (the “Participant”). The Contest is divided into three phases. Phase One requires teams to submit a written entry through the registration link on samsung.com/ca/solve between 12:00:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (“EST”) on Tuesday, October 15, 2024 and 11:59:59 p.m. EST on Friday, January 31, 2025. Twelve (12) Regional Finalist teams will be selected on or about Friday, February 14, 2025 by a panel of six (6) qualified judges selected by Samsung based on the selection criteria stated in the full Official Contest Rules. Each eligible Regional Finalist will receive a Samsung Voucher to purchase Samsung technology, and/or select Samsung products, with a total value of $2,500 per selected team. During Phase Two, each Regional Finalist team will be required to submit a video between Thursday, February 20, 2025 at 12:00:01 a.m. EST and Friday, April 11, 2025 at 11:59:59 p.m. EST to be eligible. All eligible submissions received will be judged by a panel of six (6) qualified judges selected by Samsung based on the criteria stated in the full Official Contest Rules, and four (4) National Finalists will be selected. Each eligible National Finalist will receive a Samsung Voucher to purchase Samsung technology, and/or select Samsung products, with a total value of $5,000 per selected team. Phase Three requires each National Finalist team to make a presentation to judges on their Project based on the criteria provided by Sponsor (the “Presentation”). All eligible Presentations will be judged by a panel of six (6) qualified judges selected by Samsung based on the criteria stated in the full Official Contest Rules, and one (1) Grand Prize Winner, and two (2) Runner Up Winners will be selected. The eligible Grand Prize Winner and Runner Up Winners shall receive winning prizes as follows: Grand Prize Winner – Samsung Vouchers to purchase Samsung technology, and/or select Samsung products with a combined total value of $50,000; First Runner Up Winner – Samsung Vouchers to purchase Samsung technology, and/or select Samsung products with a combined total value of $10,000; Second Runner Up Winner – Samsung Vouchers to purchase Samsung technology, and/or select Samsung products with a combined total value of $10,000. The videos of all four (4) National Finalists will exhibited on samsung.com/ca/solve, and eligible members of the general public will be permitted to vote on their favourite National Finalist Entry. Voting will be open from 12:01:01 a.m. EST Tuesday, May 13, 2025 and end at 11:59:59 p.m. EST on Friday, May 23, 2025 (“Public Voting Period”). The eligible National Finalist who receives the most qualifying votes will be awarded Samsung Vouchers to purchase Samsung technology, and/or select Samsung products with a combined total value of $5,000. All prizes will be made payable to the Participant’s school for use by the winning teacher. Odds of winning depend upon the total number of entries received during each phase. Must correctly answer a mathematical skill-testing question to win. For more information and a copy of the full Official Contest Rules, visit samsung.com/ca/solve.

Today, Samsung Canada announced St. Mary St. Cecilia Catholic School from Morrisburg, ON as the winner of its Solve for Tomorrow Contest, a nationwide competition which asks schools to submit innovative ideas using STEM to solve sustainability challenges facing our communities. At a special ceremony this afternoon, St. Mary St. Cecilia Catholic School was crowned “The School for Tomorrow” and will take home the grand prize of $50,000 to support STEM learning in classrooms.

After hundreds of entries from coast-to-coast, St. Mary St. Cecilia Catholic School was recognized by Samsung Canada’s panel of expert judges for their innovative solution to support the everyday shift to sustainable energy sources through a hydrogen generator suitable for residential and commercial use.

“We are thrilled to name St. Mary St. Cecilia Catholic School as the winner of our Solve for Tomorrow Contest. This school demonstrated the innovation, bright ideas, and impressive thinking that has defined this competition for over a decade,” said Jihoon Lee, President, Samsung Electronics Canada. “On behalf of Samsung Canada, we are proud to support the future of STEM learning at St. Mary St. Cecilia and all Canadian schools. Along with all our finalist teams, this school will no doubt make a strong impact on our communities and help build a sustainable future for years to come.”

“We are so thankful to Samsung Canada and judges for choosing SMSC Energizers hydrogen generator as the winning team,” said Laura Ferguson and Blair Fitzsimon, educators at St. Mary St. Cecilia Catholic School. “Winning means that we can create and build more sustainable projects at our school for all students to enjoy!”

In addition to the winning school team, Samsung Canada also announced the second and third place winners, along with the Solve for Tomorrow Fan Favourite, who are chosen by the public.

Second Place: Lincoln Alexander Public School in Ajax, ON for an innovative water treatment filter technology solution to solve the lack of access to clean drinking water affecting rural and Indigenous communities.

“Being able to see students think critically about the world around them and leverage STEM to create and innovate solutions that have the potential to improve the lives of millions of people world wide has been a pleasure to watch. Thank you, Samsung – the future is certainly bright!” said Ashley Feeney, educator at Lincoln Alexander Public School.

Third Place and Fan Favourite Award Recipient: St. Peter High School in Ottawa, ON for their ‘smart’ garden living classroom which aims to drive environmental stewardship at their school and build interest in sustainable food practices.

“Winning this competition means the world to us, as it proves that our ideas and hard work can make a real difference and inspires us to keep pushing the boundaries of innovation,” says Kara Dainty and Bridget Thompson, student at St Peter High School.

Samsung Canada is committed to empowering future generations to achieve their full potential, and build a brighter tomorrow for our communities across Canada. For over a decade, Samsung has celebrated youth innovation for positive social change through the Solve for Tomorrow Contest.

For more information on the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest, visit Samsung.com/ca/Solve.

Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow Contest challenges Canadian youth to devise innovative, STEM-based solutions that will have a meaningful impact on their local communities. In 2022, Kevin Lau and Ann Baek, Team Triage Kiosk, aimed to improve their local hospital wait times through devising an innovative solution: a Samsung AI-powered triage kiosk.

As the 2023/24 Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest is in full swing, we caught up with Team Triage Kiosk about their experiences winning the contest, and how they’re bringing their idea to life with assistance from the Samsung team.

1. Tell us about your overall experience with the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest.

Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow competition was an opportunity to think progressively and create a proposed solution for today’s real-world problems that could have an impact on our communities moving forward. Each hurdle we faced was a learning opportunity in an exciting journey that we never wanted to end!

2. How did you come up with the idea for a Triage Kiosk?

While brainstorming many ideas about the issues around the world, we felt that the wait times in hospitals were an issue that many faced without a proposed solution. Currently, there is a shortage of healthcare workers, contributing to prolonged wait times in emergency rooms. By using STEM, we thought that it could help ease the burden off healthcare workers and also reassure patients.

3. Why did you decide to enter the contest?

We decided to enter the contest to bring our ideas to life. We wanted to take on a challenge to something we haven’t tried out before. When we first entered the contest, we just wanted to try our best and it would still be worthwhile if we didn’t win anything because we gave it our all.

4. How was your experience with the Solve for Tomorrow Masterclass?

The Solve for Tomorrow Masterclass with Andini Makosinski was an insightful information session before the final submission. We got to hear about her experience as an inventor and how she’s navigated her career. We loved hearing about her future plans and what she hoped to accomplish as someone with multiple commitments. It also felt encouraging that we were headed in the correct direction with our project as we faced obstacles along the way in creating our video.

5. How did it feel to win the contest?

We were delighted when we received news of our achievement. With all the hard work that went into developing the Triage Kiosk, it was amazing to hear that it all paid off in the end, knowing our idea could impact and create change in healthcare.

6. What has Team Triage Kiosk been up to since you won? How are you bringing the idea to life?

Ever since we won, we have been working with Samsung Canada to bring the product to life by partnering with EPIC, the patient charting software that is used by hospitals such as the University Health Network. Personally speaking, Ann is finishing up her undergraduate degree, pursuing her CPA designation; while Kevin is a full-time primary care paramedic.

7. What advice would you give to classrooms looking to enter this year?

To this year’s participants – being only limited to your imagination, our advice is to seek what inspires you, and use it to fuel your ideas. We are all capable of implementing change in our society for a brighter, more sustainable future.

Canadians in grades 6 to 12 with an innovative idea and teacher sponsor can apply to the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest until February 15 for a chance to win $50,000 for their school[1]. Visit Samsung.com/ca/solve to apply today!

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[1] Terms and Conditions apply. The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest begins on Monday, November 27, 2023 at 12:01 a.m. EST and ends on March 31, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Open to residents of Canada (excluding Quebec residents) who are twenty one (21) years of age or older and are currently employed as full-time teachers in a public Middle School, Junior High School, or High School, grades 6-12, including Charter Schools that are 50% or more publicly funded in Canada. All Canadian publicly funded schools (except those registered and located in Québec) are eligible to participate. Schools that are publicly funded but outside of the provincially-run school board/district/division system, such as Charter Schools in Alberta and Federally-funded schools in FNMI communities, are eligible to apply if they meet the grade requirements. A full-time teacher, as defined above, is eligible to enter the Contest as part of a team with at least one (1) student or more up to a maximum of fifty (50) students (the “Participant”). The Contest is divided into two phases. Phase One requires teams to submit a written entry through the registration link on samsung.com/ca/solve between Monday, November 27, 2023 12:01 a.m. EST and Thursday, February 15, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. EST (the “Contest Entry Period”). Five (5) Finalist teams will be selected on or about  Friday, March 1. 2024 by a panel of six (6) qualified judges selected by Samsung based on the selection criteria stated in the full Contest Terms and Conditions. Odds of winning depend upon the total number of contest entries received during the Contest Entry Period. Each Finalist will receive a Samsung Voucher with a total value of up to $5,000 per team. During Phase Two, each Finalist team will be required to submit a video between Monday  , March 4, 2024 at 12:01 a.m. EST and Friday, April 5, , 2024 at 11:59 p.m. EST (the “Final Judging Period”). All eligible submissions received will be judged by a panel of six (6) qualified judges selected by Samsung based on the criteria stated in the full Contest Terms and Conditions, and three (3) Winners will be selected. Odds of winning depend upon the total number of videos received during Phase Two. The three (3) Winners shall receive winning prizes consisting of the following elements based on their final place: First Place – $50,000 cash prize (by way of a cheque), Second Place $10,000 cash prize (by way of a cheque), Third Place – $10,000 cash prize (by way of a cheque). The videos of all five (5) Finalists will exhibited on samsung.com/ca/solve, and members of the general public will be permitted to vote on their favourite Finalist Entry. Voting will be open from Friday, April 12, 2024 at 12:01 a.m. EST and will close on Friday, April 26, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. EST. The Finalist who receives the most qualifying votes will be awarded a cash prize of $5,000 (by way of a cheque). All prizes will be made payable to the Participant’s school for use by the winning teacher. Must correctly answer a mathematical skill-testing question to win. For more information and a copy of the full Contest Terms and Conditions, visit samsung.com/ca/solve.