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| Samsung Solve for Tomorrow | |
|---|---|
| Name | Samsung Solve for Tomorrow |
| Established | 2010 |
| Sponsor | Samsung Electronics |
| Country | United States |
| Genre | STEM competition |
Samsung Solve for Tomorrow
Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is a corporate-sponsored STEM competition that engages K–12 students in project-based problem solving, combining elements of science fair, hackathon, and service learning. The initiative connects Samsung Electronics with educators, schools, and community organizations to address local challenges through innovation, drawing attention from Smithsonian Institution, National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Education, and regional school district partners.
Solve for Tomorrow challenges student teams to identify community problems and design technological or engineering solutions, judged on criteria adapted from Next Generation Science Standards, Project Lead The Way, and Common Core State Standards. The program emphasizes hands-on design thinking influenced by the practices of STEM education, maker movement, design sprint, and entrepreneurship programs associated with institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and Georgia Institute of Technology. Entry pathways typically route through local public school, charter school, or private school nominations, with support from nonprofit organization partners such as DonorsChoose, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and regional community foundations.
Launched in 2010 by Samsung Electronics, the competition expanded from an initial pilot to a nationwide program amid partnerships with NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration initiatives, and education stakeholders including Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and International Society for Technology in Education. Over time the initiative evolved alongside policy and curricular shifts tied to Race to the Top and funding programs from National Institutes of Health and U.S. Department of Education grants, while coordinating with local school boards and state-level agencies like California Department of Education and Texas Education Agency. The program also mirrored broader corporate social responsibility trends exemplified by Google.org and Microsoft Philanthropies.
Teams, often representing high school, middle school, or K–12 cohorts, submit proposals that are evaluated by panels including educators from American Association of School Administrators, engineers from IEEE, and representatives from Samsung Research. Judging criteria incorporate metrics similar to awards like the Intel ISEF and Regeneron Science Talent Search, assessing criteria such as problem definition, prototype development, community impact, and sustainability—concepts paralleling LEED certification approaches and social impact bond frameworks. Rounds typically include campus-level, state-level, and national finals, with presentation formats resembling those of the TED Conference and SXSW EDU.
The program reports metrics on student participation, teacher professional development, and community benefit analogous to longitudinal studies conducted by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine andRAND Corporation. Outcomes include increased STEM interest measured against instruments used by Programme for International Student Assessment and improved project management skills aligned with Project Management Institute standards. Notable community benefits echo projects supported by AmeriCorps and Peace Corps volunteerism, while alumni have matriculated to institutions such as Harvard University, Princeton University, University of California, Berkeley, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Winners have included teams whose projects addressed issues comparable to initiatives from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grants and Khan Academy outreach—examples include sensor-based environmental monitoring akin to EPA initiatives, assistive devices resembling prototypes funded by National Institutes of Health, and water purification systems echoing Bill Gates-backed technologies. Alumni projects have been showcased at venues like Consumer Electronics Show, White House Science Fair, and exhibits curated by the Smithsonian Institution.
Samsung ran the program with partners spanning corporate, nonprofit, and government arenas: collaborators have included Google, Microsoft, Intel Corporation, Broadcom Foundation, XPRIZE Foundation, and educational partners such as Teach for America, DonorsChoose, and National Science Teachers Association. Media partnerships involved outlets like The New York Times, NBC Universal, and CNET. Funding and in-kind support sometimes interfaced with philanthropic entities including Ford Foundation and Walton Family Foundation.
Critics have raised concerns similar to debates around corporate sponsorship in public school settings, invoking discussions paralleling controversies involving PepsiCo and NFL partnerships, including equity of access for under-resourced schools, commercialization of classroom activities, and selection transparency compared to processes used by federal grant competitions. Additional scrutiny mirrored issues raised in analyses of charter school funding and corporate influence addressed by advocacy groups like Campaign for America's Future and National Education Association.
Category:Science competitions in the United States Category:Samsung