Samsung Celebrates Winners in its National Million Dollar STEM Education Contest

Samsung Electronics announced its third annual finale event to honor the five winning schools of the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest, a nationwide $1M competition designed to raise enthusiasm for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education among U.S. public middle and high school students.

Students from the five winning schools will have the opportunity to attend the ceremony and meet with their Congressional representatives. The grand prize winners were chosen for their video submissions illustrating how STEM can help address an environmental issue in their communities.

David Boone, a freshman at Harvard University who attributes his success to STEM education, will deliver the keynote address to an audience of education thought leaders, government officials and students on how access to STEM education helped him overcome obstacles and shaped his journey from living on the streets of Cleveland to becoming an electrical engineering and computer science major at Harvard University.

U.S. Representative Xavier Becerra (D-CA), a leading Congressional advocate for STEM education, will also speak at the event. Congressman Becerra is chairman of the House Democratic Caucus and is the senior Democrat on the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security. Camsie McAdams, Senior Advisor on STEM Education at the U.S. Department of Education, will also address the audience during the ceremony.

The five winners will each receive $110,000* in technology products such as smart boards, LED TVs, and laptops from Samsung and its corporate partners, Adobe Foundation, and DIRECTV. This year alone, more than 1,600 schools across the country participated in the contest, with projects covering water pollution, climate change, and sustainability.

The five grand prize winners are:

Franklin High School, Los Angeles, CA       

Leewood K-8 Center, Miami, FL

Forestview Middle School, Baxter, MN

Arrowhead Park Early College, Las Cruces, NM 

MS 88/Peter Rouget Middle School, Brooklyn, NY        

In addition to working with its technology partners, Samsung partners closely with the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) to tackle the complex issues of STEM education, and the National PTA® to ensure engagement and alignment with parents and educators across the country.

The Solve for Tomorrow contest is part of Samsung Hope for Children, the company’s philanthropic initiative focused on helping children lead healthier, smarter, and more sustainable lives.