Applications for the $2 million Samsung STEM Education Competition open today

Samsung’s solution for tomorrow competition challenges US students in grades 6 to 12 to use STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) to create innovative and sustainable solutions that transform local communities. Public school teachers across the US are invited to apply for this year’s Samsung program website now through Nov 2.

To apply, all teachers have to do is submit ideas about how their students can improve their communities using problem-based learning.

“The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest not only gave my students valuable lessons in the classroom through hands-on learning, but also helped change the trajectory of their lives,” said Harry Preston, Green Street Academy teacher and 2022 national finalist.

There is evidence that this kind of encouragement can help students embrace STEM. As the Council on Foreign Relations noted last year, the percentage of graduates with bachelor’s degrees in science and engineering peaked in the late 1960s, around the time of the moon landings, but then slowly declined for several decades before the federal government began to re-emphasize the importance of STEM education. In a recently published letter, more than 600 leaders from nonprofits, academia and the technology world called for more computer science in schools.

All teams in the Samsung competition that are selected to advance to the final rounds, which could be up to 300 schools, will receive some sort of prize money. Through its Solve for Tomorrow initiative, Samsung will provide a total of $2 million in technology and supplies to classrooms in each state.

Samsung is adding an additional $50,000 sustainability incentive through its Sustainability Innovation Award. This award will be given to a team working on a positive short-term and long-term impact on the environment.

Finalists will be selected after entries close in November. As students progress through the competition, they will have various opportunities to participate and hone their skills by submitting videos and even presenting in person to a panel of judges.

“This competition inspired in them a sense of entrepreneurship as well as a desire to change the way the STEM field looks from a representational perspective. It’s been amazing to guide them as they witness firsthand their power to make a difference in the world,” said Preston.

Finalists have the opportunity to win money from the first to the last round. In the first round, 300 selected applicants will receive $2,500 each. Prizes continue to increase as schools move through the rounds, culminating in $100,000 each of the nation’s three grand prize winning schools will receive in the form of technology and classroom supplies.

“The issues that concern students continue to evolve, and Samsung is committed to adapting to meet these change-makers where they are through the Solve for Tomorrow competition,” said Michelle Crossan-Matos, senior vice president, corporate affairs officer marketing, citizenship and communications at Samsung Electronics America.