[UPDATE] 10 Schools Awarded for Addressing COVID-19, Social Justice, Human Trafficking and More in $2M STEM Competition from Samsung

UPDATE: Tune in April 28th at 10 a.m. EDT to see the 10 national finalists present their STEM projects at the Virtual Pitch Event on www.SamsungSolveforTomorrow.com 

Samsung announces National Finalists in the 11^th Annual Solve for Tomorrow Contest for Developing Innovations to Address Pressing World Issues

Today, Samsung Electronics America, Inc., announced the 10 National Finalist schools and innovations in the 11^th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest, a nationwide education competition which challenges students in grades 6-12 to use STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills to address local issues and inspire change in their communities. These innovations – developed by bright young minds during a challenging and untraditional school year – demonstrate how STEM learning can take an idea and transform a community, while empowering students to make a difference despite the adversities they may face.

For the past few months, hundreds of students from every corner of the country have been building prototypes, apps and more – both virtually and in-person. The 10 National Finalist projects in this year’s competition were selected for their ingenuity in tackling some of the most critical issues of our lifetime, including COVID-19, social justice, sustainability and accessibility. Each school will receive $65,000* in Samsung technology and classroom supplies and will present their projects to a panel of judges to compete for the grand prize.

“Through the Solve for Tomorrow competition, we have seen firsthand how resilient students are, as these challenging times have proven to be a source of creativity and innovation for our National Finalists,” said Ann Woo, Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship, Samsung Electronics America. “Samsung Solve for Tomorrow challenges students to create high-impact, functional solutions. While in virtual and hybrid learning environments, students had to be more nimble than ever to answer that call. These National Finalists represent hundreds of students and teachers who have worked determinedly to change the world, and we are proud to play a part in their journey.”

The 10 National Finalist classrooms will participate in a virtual pitch event at the end of this month where they will present their project to a panel of judges in hopes to be one of three National Winners and take home $130,000* in Samsung technology and classroom supplies. All are welcome to watch these remarkable students pitch their project ideas on Wednesday, April 28 from 10:00 a.m. EDT at: www.SamsungSolveforTomorrow.com

The general public will also elect two Community Choice Winners from the pool of National Finalists to receive an additional $15,000* for their school. Anyone throughout the country can vote online for their favorite school and project. To participate, simply view the student-created videos on the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow website and cast your vote. Voting is permitted once a day until 11:59 p.m. EDT on May 3, 2021.

Aligned with Samsung’s guiding vision of ‘Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People’, the Solve for Tomorrow competition was created in 2010 to encourage innovative thinking, creative problem-solving and teamwork to address the most pressing issues impacting society. Today, the competition is anchored in problem-based learning, fostering critical thinking and creative problem solving. Over the past decade, Samsung has awarded $18 million in technology and classroom materials to more than 2,500 public schools in the United States.

To learn more about the National Finalist schools, please visit www.samsung.com/solve or follow on Instagram @SolveForTomorrow. For official rules and judging criteria, click here.

*Prize is based on an estimated retail value. | Not open to the general public: No purchase necessary to enter or win. Open to employees at eligible schools in the fifty (50) United States/DC twenty-one (21) years of age or older. To enter/official rules: visit www.Samsung.com/Solve to complete the application form. | The school is responsible for ensuring the proper handling and security of all data potentially shared and/or collected as part of their project. Samsung takes privacy very seriously and encourages all Semi-Finalists to consider how information that is part of their project is being handled. | The school is responsible for ensuring safety, security, bias and privacy matters related to artificial intelligence (AI) as part of their project. Samsung takes privacy very seriously and encourages all Semi-Finalists to consider all safety precautions related to their projects throughout development.