Samsung is dedicated to helping improve children’s health, education and sustainability with products that inspire passion and enable people to live smarter lives. This fall, we are giving schools nationwide the opportunity to share the wonder of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), and win part of $1 million in technology through our Solve for Tomorrow contest*.

Over the past 10 years, Samsung and its retail and business partners have helped more than 400 schools, community-based foundations and charities throughout the U.S. by raising awareness and funding their causes under the Samsung Hope for Children philanthropic initiative. Samsung has a strong commitment towards developing leading technologies that facilitate innovation in the classroom and support STEM based education. By fostering students’ interest in these key subject areas and by making them accessible and interesting, Samsung hopes to positively affect STEM proficiency to strengthen our nation’s, future competitiveness through our children.

STEM education continues to be a national priority in the U.S., as it has become increasingly apparent that U.S. students are not advancing in math and science at the same pace as in other countries. In fact, recent studies show that:

• On the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) math tests, 4th graders showed no signs of progress for the first time in many years, and 8th graders tallied only modest evidence of progress. In addition, only 38 percent of U.S. 4th graders were proficient or advanced in math. We are not advancing as we must.
• In 2009, among the 34 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries , half the countries had higher average scores than the US in math, and 12 countries had higher average science scores.
• Only 43 percent of U.S. high school graduates in 2010 were ready for college curriculum in the subject of math and 29 percent were ready in science.

Through Solve for Tomorrow, Samsung and its partners hope to raise the enthusiasm for STEM education, demonstrate how STEM can positively impact our environment and communities, and improve the technology gap in classrooms.

Together, we will work towards solving this academic challenge in our country.

Samsung is asking 6th- 12th grade public school teachers across the U.S. to create videos with their students that answer the challenge: “Show how STEM can help improve the environment in your community?” From August 22 through October 31, teachers can complete an online application to be selected to participate in the video contest. The 25 selected classrooms will receive a Samsung camcorder and Adobe video editing software to create videos responses.** The top 12 videos will be posted on Samsung.com for online voting and the top 5 schools, including a winner chosen by the public through online voting, will be invited to attend an awards ceremony. Twelve schools in all will be awarded a minimum of $70,000* in technology for their efforts.

Technology
Samsung is collaborating with other leading technology companies to positively impact the participating schools. These partners are instrumental in this effort through their generous donation of products and services for winning schools.

Non-Profits
Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is also proud to be partnering with several additional leading education non-profits, which bring to bear deep expertise in various facets of the U.S. education space.

Through its network of more than 100 CEOs, Change the Equation pledges to create widespread literacy in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) as an investment in our nation that empowers us all.

The nation’s leading organization dedicated to empowering students to stay in school and achieve in life.