The contest challenges students in grades 6 through 12 nationwide to use their STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills to innovate a solution to a problem affecting in their community. This year, the Grand Prize Winners were selected from a pool of more than 4,100 school groups that submitted ideas last October for how they would apply STEM to making a difference.

The National Winners of the 2016 Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest pose with His Excellency Ahn Ho-Young, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Korea to the U.S. (center); Chairman Michael T. McCaul (R-TX) (center left); Won-Kyong Kim, Executive Vice President of U.S. Public Affairs at Samsung Electronics America (back right); and Ann Woo, Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics American (far right). Credit: Margarita Corporan.

The awards luncheon was held at Top of the Hill Banquet & Conference Center at the Reserve Officers Association in Washington, D.C. Welcome remarks were provided by the Korean ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Ahn Ho-Young. He said: “Programs like Solve for Tomorrow are a great way to highlight the important role STEM skills play in solving the challenges our communities face. The talent, creativity and compassion for their neighbors that this year’s winners have shown makes me more confident than ever in our shared future together.”

In addition to honoring the students, Samsung recognized Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), Chairman Michael T. McCaul (R-TX), Representative Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Representative Jared Polis (D-CO) for their commitment to STEM education in K-12 schools nationwide, naming them Samsung Solve for Tomorrow STEM Champions.

“As someone who grew up in poverty, I know full well the power of education,” said Scott. “That’s why I fully support the STEM education motto, because I’ve seen firsthand the amazing things that can come from these programs.”

McCaul and Polis received their awards in person.

“I am honored to receive this distinction from Samsung, but the true recognition goes to the students and teachers committed to STEM education and breakthroughs,” said McCaul. “With great programs like ‘Solve for Tomorrow’ and its participants, I am more confident than ever that America’s scientific, technological, engineering, and mathematics future are bright.”

Keynote speaker Mick Ebeling, CEO of Not Impossible Labs, spoke about his company’s mission “Technology for the Sake of Humanity,” to provide tech-based solutions to help people with disabilities and illnesses around the world live fuller lives. Not Impossible Labs engineers and makers have used STEM to create affordable and unique healthcare tools, such as the acclaimed Eyewriter, which helped a paraplegic street artist to draw again after seven years. “Commit, then figure it out” was Ebeling’s advice for the invention process, adding, “If you fail, it’s okay – that means you’re one step closer to finding the solution.”

While in Washington, D.C., the winners also had the opportunity to meet with their respective congressional representatives and present their projects.

“We are so happy to give the students this opportunity to show their congressional representatives what they have been working on,” said Ann Woo, senior director of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics America. “Their projects, while addressing local issues, could have an impact on communities across the country. We are also humbled to be among members of Congress as well as industry leaders who are also working to make a difference through STEM.”

The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest was created in 2010 to bridge the gap in STEM education in public schools across the United States. Since its inception, the contest has awarded more than $17 million* in technology and prizes to more than 1,000 schools. To learn more about the competition, please visit: http://www.samsung.com/solve.

B-roll and images from the luncheon and trip will be made available at http://news.samsung.com/us/press-kits/2016-solve-for-tomorrow-event/.

To watch videos from the event, please visit the US Newsroom.

* Estimated Retail Value

Comfortable cardboard classroom furniture for special needs students, prosthetic enhancements for veterans and a smartwatch app for pedestrian safety are among the winning projects of this year’s Solve for Tomorrow contest.  Five groups of public school students from across the United States have been named Grand Prize Winners, taking home $120,000* in technology for their school.

The contest challenges students in grades 6 through 12 nationwide to use their STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills to innovate a solution to a problem affecting in their community. This year, the Grand Prize Winners were selected from a pool of more than 4,100 school groups that submitted ideas last October for how they would apply STEM to making a difference.

The 2016 Solve for Tomorrow Grand Prize Winners are:

Mission Valley ROP/James Logan High School, California
Students designed and constructed a fully-functional, solar-powered charging station for their Bay Area neighborhood – the region with the highest number of electric vehicles on the roads today. They were named the Community Choice Winner, selected by a public vote on Instagram and Twitter. View their video submission here: James Logan High School.

Brooklyn Technical High School, New York
After three fellow students were tragically hit and killed by cars, students developed a smartwatch app that warns pedestrians of oncoming vehicles. They were named the Samsung Ambassador Choice Winner, by a vote of Samsung employees. View their video submission here: Brooklyn Technical High School.

Horizon Middle School, Colorado
Students living near Buckley Air Force Base have family members and friends and know other residents who have lost limbs while serving abroad and struggle with the cost of prosthetics. The students designed a comfortable, cost-effective prosthetic enhancement for one of the local wounded veterans. They were selected by the judges at the Pitch Event held at Samsung 837 in New York City in March. View their video submission here: Horizon Middle School.

Ridgewood Middle School, Missouri
The students noticed that some of their peers with disabilities had trouble staying upright in their chairs, and so they used reinforced cardboard to engineer comfortable classroom furniture for their peers and have developed more than 20 pieces to date. They were selected by the judges at the Pitch Event held at Samsung 837 in New York City in March. View their video submission here: Ridgewood Middle School.

Loudon Valley High School, Virginia
With limited cell reception on the Washington and Old Dominion Trail, several hikers and cyclists have been injured or attacked and unable to call for help. The students designed a wireless, solar-powered and weatherproof safety alert system that rapidly connects to emergency services. They were selected by the judges at the Pitch Event held at Samsung 837 in New York City in March. View their video submission here: Loudon Valley High School.

All five of the Grand Prize Winners are invited to Washington, D.C. for an awards luncheon, meetings with their Congressional representatives and a tour of the White House on April 27. Students from the winning schools in California and Colorado have also been invited to present their projects at the White House Science Fair on April 13.

“Solve for Tomorrow is designed to inspire students to rethink STEM and realize their ability to apply those skills to address safety, environmental and health issues in their own backyards and around the world,” said Ann Woo, senior director of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics America. “We are so proud of these students at these five schools for their ingenuity and creativity in applying STEM to solving problems in their communities and creating positive change.”

In addition to technology, the five Grand Prize Winners have won prizes from Samsung partners BrainPop, Adobe, National Environmental Education Foundation and Nepris.

The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest was created in 2010 to bridge the gap in STEM education in public schools across the United States. Since its inception, the contest has awarded more than $17 million* in technology and prizes to more than 1,000 schools. To learn more about the competition, please visit: http://www.samsung.com/solve.

A video of this year’s Pitch Event can be found here: http://smsng.news/1RWevNH.

*Estimated retail value

About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
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