Brandywine High School Named National Winner in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow STEM Competition
May 16, 2023
RIDGEFIELD PARK, NJ – May 16, 2023 – Samsung Electronics America, Inc., today named the three National Winners of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, the nationwide competition for public middle and high school students that awards $2 million annually in prizes to teams demonstrating how they use STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) skills to create positive change and address pressing issues in their local communities. The winning schools from Delaware, Florida, and Texas – selected from 10 National Finalists – each receive $100,00 in Samsung technology and school supplies, while the remaining seven Finalists receive $50,000 per school.
The three National Winners – Brandywine High School (Wilmington, DE); Strawberry Crest High School (Dover, FL); and Porter High School (Porter, TX) – were announced by Samsung Electronics America President and CEO KS Choi at today’s celebration in Washington D.C. U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia and U.S. Senator Todd Young of Indiana also attended the event as they were honored with STEM Champion Awards from Samsung in recognition of their efforts to advance STEM pursuits in their states.
A panoramic view of Brandywine high school signage during the Peer-to-Peer education initiative Friday, May 20, 2022; at Brandywine high school in Wilmington, DE. Photo By Part 107 certified Photographer Saquan Stimpson
Joining Choi and the Senators to honor the winners and all competitors were speakers including Mark Lippert, Samsung Electronics North America Executive Vice President of Public Affairs, and, past Solve for Tomorrow winners, Paula Labbe, Robotics Teacher at Great Bridge High School, Virginia, and Daniella Gonzales, a student at Princeton High School, New Jersey.
“Samsung Solve for Tomorrow gives us a front-row view of the tremendous potential of this upcoming generation of STEM thinkers and do-ers,” said Ann Woo, Senior Director, Corporate Citizenship, at Samsung Electronics America. “Their ingenuity in developing creative solutions to community problems and their commitment to bringing projects from idea to reality is truly inspiring. We invite everyone to join us in celebrating these young STEM champions, and all the teams that have participated in Solve for Tomorrow. They represent the vibrant future of the STEM community that is so vital to tech companies like ours.”
All 10 Finalists pitched their STEM solutions yesterday at the Samsung Solutions Center in Washington to a panel of judges that included another Solve for Tomorrow alumni teacher, Harry Preston of Baltimore’s Green Street Academy. The Finalists and guests were welcomed by speakers including Alix Guerrier, CEO of DonorsChoose, a nonprofit crowdfunding platform for educators and a Solve for Tomorrow partner. Video of the students’ presentations can be viewed here.
The three grand prize-winning STEM solutions are:
| SCHOOL | CITY/STATE | COMMUNITY ISSUE & STEM SOLUTION |
| Brandywine High School | Wilmington, DE | Eliminated cost barriers by creating an affordable alternative to assistive tech devices – AACU Switch – for people with independent living disabilities |
| Strawberry Crest High School | Dover, FL | Created a wearable sensor and corresponding app – Human Health Band – that allows coaches to monitor athlete’s body temperatures to prevent heat-related deaths in sports |
| Porter High School | Porter, TX | Designed a state-of-the-art, app-based beehive monitoring system – HiveHub – capable of recording the hive traffic, climate, and activity to thwart the pollinator collapse |
Members of the Brandywine high school team. Photo by Mikaelyn Austin
Moreover, three additional honors were awarded at the event:
- Bloomington High School South [youtu.be] (Bloomington, IN) was honored as our Sustainability Innovation Award Winner, receiving an added $50,000 prize package for eco-conscious Samsung technology. Their STEM solution, Temp Mural, reduces the impact of global warming by engineering mural art using highly reflective, climate-positive barium sulfate paint.
- Richmond Hill Middle School [youtu.be] (Richmond, GA) was selected through online public voting and was named Community Choice Winner, earning an added $10,000 prize package. Designed with veterans in mind, their community project, Safe Sleep, detects sudden increases in heart rate during a PTSD nightmare and triggers a companion app to play breathing exercises.
- Samsung employees named Brandywine High School (Wilmington, DE) the Employee Choice Winner, and they received an added $10,000 prize on top of their $100,000 National Winner earnings.
The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Winners and Finalists represented the very best of more than one thousand competition entrants who worked on their projects across the school year, advancing through multiple levels of the competition. Across award categories, including State Finalists and State Winners, more than $2 million* in prize packages were distributed this year. Since Solve for Tomorrow’s inception in 2010, Samsung has donated $24 million in tech and classroom supplies to 2,800+ schools across every state in the U.S.