Gen Z & Alpha Innovators Take Center Stage as Samsung Awards $300K to National Winners in 15th Annual Solve for Tomorrow STEM Competition

Harnessing AI, IoT & 3D Printing, This Year’s Winners Join Nearly 4,300 Schools Awarded Over $29 Million by Samsung to Advance STEM Education Nationwide

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Samsung Electronics America proudly names the winners of the 15th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow STEM competition—a national education program that challenges public middle and high school students to turn science, technology, engineering, and math concepts into real-world solutions for challenges in their local communities. The three National Winners—each awarded a $100,000 prize package for their schools—were announced by Yoonie Joung, President and CEO of Samsung Electronics North America: Bentonville West High School from Centerton, AR; Bloomington High School South from Bloomington, IN; and Charter School of Wilmington from Wilmington, DE.

Reflecting on the achievement and the promise of student-driven STEM solutions, Yoonie Joung shared, “These students are a profound reminder of why Samsung Solve for Tomorrow exists—to ignite innovation, inspire action, and ensure all young people have access to the tools they need to shape a better future. As they embrace emerging technologies like AI, Samsung is focused on helping close both the knowledge and resource gaps in STEM education—ensuring educators are equipped and students are empowered to apply these tools in transformative ways. Fifteen years in, Solve for Tomorrow continues to demonstrate what’s possible when we invest in youth, education, and bold thinking.”

At the core of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is a mission to advance STEM literacy, proficiency, and equity—and this year marks a celebration of its 15-year legacy of student-driven innovation. To date, Samsung has provided more than $29 million in technology and classroom resources to nearly 4,300 public schools across the U.S. This year’s three National Winners rose to the top from thousands of bold, imaginative entries—emerging from a highly competitive journey that began with 300 State Finalists, narrowed to 50 State Winners, and culminated in 10 National Finalists who pitched their visions for a brighter tomorrow.

10 National Finalists. 1 Unforgettable Pitch Event. Endless Impact.

Representing the next generation of changemakers, these 10 standout Gen Z and Gen Alpha student teams tackled issues like healthcare access, accessibility in sports, climate-driven heat disparities, and public safety on frozen lakes—using cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), 3D modeling and printing, machine learning (ML), and robotics to bring their ideas to life.

Their innovations took center stage at a live Solve for Tomorrow Pitch Event on April 28 at Samsung DC, where a panel of distinguished judges—including Charlotte Dungan from the Mark Cuban Foundation; YouTube creator Enobong Etteh; Hope King, founder of Macro Talk News and Axios contributor; Rameen Rana from Samsung NEXT; and Renzo Villavicencio from Samsung Electronics America—evaluated each team’s project. The event began with opening remarks from Alix Guerrier, CEO of DonorsChoose, a long-time Solve for Tomorrow partner dedicated to expanding access to classroom resources.

“Every year, I’m inspired by the incredible ingenuity, empathy, and determination these students bring to solving real-world problems in their communities. At Samsung, we believe in the power of technology as a force for good for all—and these young innovators are living proof of that. Watching them harness STEM to build a better future is not only hopeful—it’s a reminder of what’s possible when we invest in the next generation of problem-solvers,” said Allison Stransky, CMO of Samsung Electronics America.

Three National Winners, One Mission: Using STEM to Build a Better Future

The live Solve for Tomorrow National Winners Reveal Ceremony kicked off with a powerful keynote from Gitanjali Rao, renowned young inventor and passionate STEM advocate, who reminded students that age is no barrier to impact. Her words set the tone for an evening rooted in innovation, possibility, and purpose.

The celebration continued with a dynamic panel discussion, “AI for Good: Empowering the Next Generation of Problem-Solvers,” moderated by Samsung’s Allison Stransky. The conversation brought together leading voices from technology, education, and philanthropy—including Paul Kim of Samsung, Charlotte Dungan of the Mark Cuban Foundation, and Jordan Harrod, AI strategist and Harvard-MIT Ph.D. candidate—to explore how AI can be harnessed to address real-world challenges while emphasizing the importance of access, ethics, and responsible innovation.

Additionally, Ngan Le, a Solve for Tomorrow alum and Samsung Youth Ambassador at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, shared highlights from attending the Games with fellow Solve for Tomorrow students from around the world—where she showcased her project to IOC leaders and helped kick off Samsung’s global “Together for Tomorrow, Enabling People” initiative.

The culminating awards ceremony honored the following three National Winners with $100,000 in Samsung technology and classroom supplies for their schools:

SCHOOL	CITY/STATE	COMMUNITY ISSUE, STEM SOLUTION & VIDEO
Bentonville West High School	Centerton, AR	Public Health – Cancer: Oral cancer causes 170,000 deaths annually, with early detection critical to saving lives. In Arkansas, limited access to affordable specialists and diagnostics makes detection especially challenging, particularly in rural and low-income areas. In 2024, 90% of residents didn’t visit a dentist. To address this, students developed an AI-powered mobile cancer screening app, allowing users to take images of their mouths and self-screen for oral cancer—offering an affordable, accessible early detection solution. https://youtu.be/f0uTMiuasF8
Bloomington High School South	Bloomington, IN	Accessibility – Sports: Nearly 20% of Americans experience hearing loss, and with 8 million high school athletes participating in sports, many are at risk of damaging their hearing aids during physical activities. Current solutions are bulky and non-compliant. Storm Shield, a lightweight, eco-friendly headband, protects hearing aids from wind, rain, and impact using hydrophobic mesh and a wireless motion sensor for safety. Combining material science, programming, IoT, machine learning, and 3D printing, this all-girl student-led project offers an affordable, sustainable, and innovative solution for athletes' hearing aid protection. https://youtu.be/PlQEmMA2O9w
Charter School of Wilmington	Wilmington, DE	Public Health – Physician Shortage: Delaware's physician shortage has left several counties without adequate access to healthcare, causing primary care wait times to soar by nearly 200%. High school students developed the AKQUA-Gel hydrogel bandage—a smart, AI-powered smart bandage with IoT sensors and 3D-printed components that monitors wound healing in real-time. Linked to a mobile app, it tracks biomarkers like moisture, pH, and oxygen, providing data to patients and doctors, advancing treatment, and reducing hospital congestion by enabling remote wound monitoring. https://youtu.be/Vs-Ou3CnCZg

In addition to the National Winners, four special honors were awarded and presented by leaders across the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow community: Tony Nobles of BUILD.org presented the Rising Entrepreneurship Award; Anne Kelly of Ceres awarded the Sustainability Innovation Award; Tim Chau, Co-founder and CEO of Impact Media, presented the Community Choice Award; and Cordell Hull, Samsung Electronics America’s Executive Vice President of U.S. Public Affairs announced the Employee Choice Award. Each of these honors came with additional prize packages on top of the $50,000 awarded to all National Finalists—or $100,000 for each of the three National Winners. To build on that school support, all 10 teams also received a Samsung WAF Interactive Display and hands-on training from the Samsung Education Solutions team to help bring AI and interactive display technology into their classrooms.

SCHOOL	CITY/STATE	COMMUNITY ISSUE, STEM SOLUTION & VIDEO
Rising Entrepreneurship Award: From the 50 State Winners, one school was selected for the Rising Entrepreneurship Award, receiving a $25,000 prize to develop a sustainable venture extending beyond the competition.
Bloomington High School South	Bloomington, IN	Accessibility – Sports: Nearly 20% of Americans experience hearing loss, and with 8 million high school athletes participating in sports, many are at risk of damaging their hearing aids during physical activities. Current solutions are bulky and non-compliant. Storm Shield, a lightweight, eco-friendly headband, protects hearing aids from wind, rain, and impact using hydrophobic mesh and a wireless motion sensor for safety. Combining material science, programming, IoT, machine learning, and 3D printing, this all-girl student-led project offers an affordable, sustainable, and innovative solution for athletes' hearing aid protection. https://youtu.be/PlQEmMA2O9w
Sustainability Innovation Award Winner: One State Winner earned the Sustainability Innovation Award for driving sustainable change through STEM, receiving an additional $25,000 prize package including Samsung ENERGY STAR® technology.
Academy of Aerospace and Engineering	Windsor, CT	Climate Action – Heat Disparities: In approximately 65 U.S. cities, the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect causes temperatures to rise by 8°F for 34 million people, a significant temperature increase that impacts public health and sustainable city development. To identify locations with heat-absorptive surfaces (e.g., dark pavement, roofs) or areas lacking cooling vegetation, high school students created H.E.A.T.M.A.P., an AI-powered app using 3D-printed, solar-powered IoT sensors with thermal imaging to track, predict, and mitigate UHI locations in real-time, combatting climate-driven heat disparities. https://youtu.be/MZ2a3BZEHzI
Community Choice Winner: The public voted for one Community Choice Winner from the 10 National Finalists, awarding the school an added $10,000 prize package.
Edgerton Elementary School	Maplewood, MN	Public Safety – Ice Hazard: Minnesota’s frozen lakes pose a serious safety risk, with numerous fatalities each winter from falling through ice. To address this, middle school students developed Ice Savers, a sensor system that measures ice thickness and shares real-time data through a mobile app. Using ultrasonic sensors, buoys, and AI-driven analysis, their solution helps prevent accidents by informing users when lake ice is safe to walk on. https://youtu.be/LzUOlEAJ-0w
Employee Choice Winner: Samsung employees selected one Employee Choice Winner from the 10 National Finalists, awarding the winning school an additional $10,000 in prizes.
Bentonville West High School	Centerton, AR	Public Health – Cancer: Oral cancer causes 170,000 deaths annually, with early detection critical to saving lives. In Arkansas, limited access to affordable specialists and diagnostics makes detection especially challenging, particularly in rural and low-income areas. In 2024, 90% of residents didn’t visit a dentist. To address this, students developed an AI-powered mobile cancer screening app, allowing users to take images of their mouths and self-screen for oral cancer—offering an affordable, accessible early detection solution. https://youtu.be/f0uTMiuasF8

To learn more about Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, please visit www.samsung.com/solve and follow us on Instagram and Facebook. Applications for the 2025-2026 national STEM competition will open in August.

*$2 million prize is based on an estimated retail value