CONTENT FROM SAMSUNG
access to the glasses they need thanks
to the app kids at their school devel-
oped. The team used machines called
lensometers, provided through the local
Lions Club, to measure the prescriptions
of donated glasses. Then the students
created QR codes and spreadsheets to
track and manage the inventory of those
who needed glasses and matched them
with available eyewear.
And at Owensville High School, in
Owensville, Mo., students feel far more
secure thanks to the safety lock its team
designed. The prototype they cre-
ated—meant to be installed on the inside
of a door—is helping reduce the risk of
anyone breaking in.
Participants at all levels of this year’s
competition, including each of the final-
ists, are shining examples of Samsung
Solve for Tomorrow’s mission, says Ann
Woo, senior director of corporate citizen-
ship, Samsung Electronics America.
“The scale and importance of the issues
addressed in this year’s contest reflect
how students are taking responsibility for
their role as change agents for the future,”
Woo says of the projects designed by
the 50 schools named state winners.
“[These] trailblazing teachers and students
are taking action to create tangible solu-
tions and promote positive change.”
In the past, Samsung, which is cele-
brating its 50th anniversary this year, has
awarded three national winning schools
$100,000 packages of its technology
products, such as Samsung Flips and
Samsung Chromebooks, and classroom
supplies, such as 3D printers, tablets,
microscopes, lab materials, and more.
Seven national finalists also won $50,000
in similar but smaller packages for their
achievements. This year, the contest
prize pool will expand to a total of $3
million, with five national winning schools
and 15 national finalist schools.
The company’s commitment to im-
proving the global community by shaping
the future through transformative ideas
and new discoveries doesn’t stop in
the schools. In August 2018, Samsung
unveiled a three-year plan to invest $21
billion in artificial intelligence, 5G technol-
ogy, automotive electronic components,
and biopharmaceuticals. In 2012, it also
established the Samsung C-Lab, where
employees receive tools and guidance to
help them develop ideas—even ones thatdon’t fit within an existing line of business.
The only prerequisite? The work must be
genuinely innovative.EMPOWERING PROGRAMS,
PRACTICAL SKILLS
Since 2011, Samsung’s citizenship initia-
tives have been providing young people
with opportunities to enhance their em-
ployment prospects and gain a practical
understanding of the technologies that
will shape their futures.Recently rebranded as Samsung
Innovation Campus, the company’s IT
training and education programs are now
all over the world and have produced
more than 110,000 graduates.
For example, in France, Samsung
runs a web and mobile development pro-
gram for students who have dropped out
of school in collaboration with EPITECH
(the largest IT higher-education institution
in the country) and ZUPdeCo (a national
organization working to create equal
opportunities). Upon completion of 1,800
hours of training and an apprenticeship
during the two-year program, graduates
receive an Integrator and Web Developer
certificate equivalent to a degree from a
two-year college program.
Samsung Solve for Tomorrow andSamsung Innovation Campus are all part
of Samsung’s Global Corporate Citizen-
ship vision: Enabling People. The com-
pany believes that by providing education
for future generations, young innovators
will be empowered to achieve their full
potential and become leaders that will
pioneer positive social change. Samsung
is committed to equipping future genera-
tions with the tools, knowledge, creativ-
ity, and empathy they need to thrive in a
technology-driven future. ■Left: Students at Deep Creek Middle School in
Chesapeake, Va., created a website and app for
high-need students with poor vision to receive eye
exams and access to free prescription glasses.
Below: Winners of Solve for Tomorrow’s 6th
National Youth Science Innovation Cup in China