11 Schools Named National Finalists in Canada's first-ever Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Challenge

Inspired by STEM and 21^st century learning, innovative student-led community solutions see each school rewarded with $20,000 in Samsung technology

MISSISSAUGA, ON, March 21, 2016 /CNW/ - Today, Samsung Canada announced the 11 finalist schools in Canada's first-ever Samsung Solve for Tomorrow (SFT) Challenge. Thanks to their innovative, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)-inspired community solutions, each of the 11 finalist schools will receive $20,000 in Samsung classroom technology. The schools move closer to one of two Grand Prize packages, which include additional Samsung technology and an exciting STEM experience at their school with well-known Canadian Youtubers Mitchell Moffitt and Gregory Brown of AsapSCIENCE.

The 11 national finalists were judged from a pool of 55 semi-finalist submissions, each of whom created a short video documenting their school's STEM solution to a local community issue. The 11 finalist submissions now move on to the public voting phase where the public will have a chance to select one of two Grand Prize winners, with the second Grand Prize winner selected by the judging panel. Canadians can vote for their favourite project at www.solvefortomorrow.ca until April 18, 2016. The two Grand Prize winning schools will be announced on April 25, 2016.

Along with popular Canadian Youtubers Mitchell Moffitt and Gregory Brown of AsapSCIENCE, the Solve for Tomorrow Challenge is supported by The Learning Partnership, a national charitable organization dedicated to advancing public education in Canada, and Let's Talk Science, a charitable youth development organization which creates and delivers free STEM learning programs and services that support educators and strengthen student learning outcomes.

To learn more about the contest rules and regulations please visit the Official Rules page and check us out online @SamsungCanada and #SamsungSolve on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

The 11 finalists in the 2016 Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Challenge are as follows:

School Name	City, Province	Project Description
Charlottetown Rural High School	Charlottetown, PEI	At Charlottetown Rural, students developed a STEM-based career website for their local community.
École Dr. Bernard Brosseau Middle School	Bonnyville, AB	Students at Dr. Bernard Brosseau Middle School applied STEM-learning to develop a water-fountain-filter that improved the taste of their school's drinking water.
École St. Joseph's School	Yellowknife, NWT	St. Joseph students used STEM to devise an innovative way to grow crops in the Yellowknife tundra.
Fort Richmond Collegiate	Winnipeg, MB	Students at Fort Richmond Collegiate applied STEM learning to enable increased WiFi signals in rural communities by tethering internet routers to helium balloons cast high above Manitoba's prairies.
Glendon School	Glendon, AB	The students at Glendon School have developed a STEM solution to provide sustainable fruits and vegetables for their school's lunch and breakfast programs.
Gordon Graydon Memorial Secondary School	Mississauga, ON	At Gordon Graydon Memorial, students applied STEM learning to develop a microbead filtration system to benefit Canada's Great Lakes.
Sacred Heart School	Estevan, SK	Sacred Heart students devised a STEM solution that will contribute to cleaner coal emissions in their local community, decreasing harmful air-borne pollution.
Sir James Dunn Academy	St. Andrews, NB	Students at Sir James Dunn Academy applied STEM in its discovery of alternative energy resources that contribute to a more energy efficient community.
South Colchester Academy	Brookfield, NS	At South Colchester Academy, students applied STEM to prevent river flooding of their school's soccer pitch.
St. Kevin's High School	Goulds, NFLD	St. Kevin's high school has discovered how to use STEM to solve the harsh Atlantic winters that wreak havoc on Newfoundland's roads.
Twin Oaks Elementary School	Laval, QC	Students at Twin Oaks Elementary created a STEM-based carpool solution to help their school's drop-off and pick-up traffic issues.

About Samsung Electronics Canada
Samsung Electronics Canada inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies, redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, cameras, digital appliances and printers. Samsung is a leader in the Internet of Things space through, among others, our Smart Home initiatives. In 2015, Samsung was ranked one of the top 10 most influential brands in Canada, based on a study by Ipsos Reid. Committed to making a difference in communities across Canada, its Samsung Hope for Children corporate giving program supports children's education, sustainability and health-related issues. Globally, Samsung employs 319,000 people across 84 countries with annual sales of $196 billion.

SOURCE Samsung Electronics Canada

Paul Cartwright, North Strategic for Samsung Canada, [email protected]