Solve for Tomorrow

$100,000 in prizes

Use STEM to tackle issues that impact your community. Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow contest is a global initiative for elementary and high school students to apply their learning in real-world challenges.

A submission must be sponsored and submitted by a teacher at the school.

The entry deadline was February 29, 2024. Our judges are now evaluating entries!

Join us Next Year

If you missed this year’s deadline and/or you’d like to participate next year, please let us know by signing up for our mailing list using the Notify me button below. We’d be thrilled to hear from you.

To learn more about Solve for Tomorrow, just refer to this year’s Entry Pack and/or our Teacher Resources.

The world needs your ideas.
There is $100,000 in prizing to be won.

We invite students to showcase their creativity, innovation and passion by developing ideas and inventions to strive toward a more sustainable world.

Is your school
The School for Tomorrow?

The 1st-place winner of Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow receives a $50,000 cash prize for their school, which is named The School for Tomorrow. It’s a distinction your school can enjoy for a full year.

THE 2023 – 24 THEME

Sustainability

Strive towards a more sustainable world

We need your most creative minds. We need those with the biggest stakes in the future. We invite students to showcase their creativity and passion by developing ideas and inventions to aim to address a sustainability challenge in their communities: from clean energy to habitat conservation, food waste reduction and more.

SmartSteps for A Smarter Future

Samsung’s new environmental strategy is a comprehensive initiative aligning with global efforts aiming to address climate change and resource scarcity. Our commitments include working towards net-zero carbon emissions through increased utilization of renewable energy sources.

Small steps make a big difference

We consider energy efficiency and resource circularity for our products throughout their entire life cycle - sourcing, production, distribution, use and recycling - to strive towards reducing our impact on the environment, including efforts to increase water reuse and advance carbon capture technology.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Contest Overview and Timeline

FORM YOUR TEAM AND ENTER WITH YOUR IDEA

Students from the same school between the ages of 10 and 18 (grades 6 to 12) may enter as a team. Up to a maximum of 50 students. A submission must be sponsored and submitted by a teacher at the school.

JUDGES EVALUATE ENTRIES AND FINALISTS ARE CHOSEN

An expert judging panel will choose 5 finalists to attend a workshop that guides them through a second round of the contest.

SUBMIT YOUR VIDEO TO WIN

Finalists will be asked to each produce a video summarizing their entry, from which a panel of judges will choose the winners.

P R I Z I N G

$100,000 in Prizes

1st Place

The 1st-place winner of Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow contest receives a $50,000 cash prize for their school, which is named The School for Tomorrow and holds the title for a year.

2nd & 3rd Place

The 2nd- and 3rd-place winners of Solve for Tomorrow each receive $10,000.

Top Five

The top five finalists each win $5,000 in Samsung cash vouchers to purchase new technology for their school.

People’s Choice

The public gets a chance to vote on their favourite Solve for Tomorrow finalist entry, and the most popular finalist will win $5,000.

BUILDING THE SOLVERS OF TOMORROW

Teacher Resources

 

Download FREE curriculum-based resources

Sustainability, world issues, STEM and Science lesson plans and more, for Grades 6-12.
 

Build your students’ STEM and Sustainability toolkit

Get fun, engaging tools to help guide idea generation and build your Solve for Tomorrow entry.
 

Your school could be The School for Tomorrow

Gather your great young minds, enter their idea, and your school could be named The School for Tomorrow 2024.

2024 Judges

Phil De Luna

Chief Carbon Scientist and Head of Engineering
Deep Sky

As CCS at Deep Sky, Phil leads development of large-scale infrastructure to reverse climate change. Phil led carbontech at McKinsey & Company, was the youngest-ever Director at National Research Council of Canada, and a finalist for the Carbon XPRIZE. A Governor General Gold Medal-winning scientist, he’s a Member of the College at Royal Society of Canada, adjunct Professor of Materials Science & Engineering at University of Toronto, and ranks in the top 0.1% in the world in his field, plus Forbes’ Top 30 Under 30.

Naila Moloo

Author

Naila is a 17-year-old innovator passionate about leveraging technology for climate solutions. Currently developing flexible, plastic-free solar cells, she leveraged nanomaterials to build out a small-scale proof of concept. Experimenting at the Carleton University lab in Ottawa, Naila works with Pond Biomaterials to develop bioplastic from duckweed. She co-hosts The Curiosity Podcast, which has been heard in 46 countries. Outside STEM, Naila is the author of the CHRONICLES OF ILLUSIONS fantasy novel duology.

Tovah Barocas

CEO
Earth Rangers

Since 2009, Tovah has shaped Earth Rangers’ innovative vision. She established countless partnerships and programs to help grow Earth Rangers into the largest kids’ conservation organization in the world. The Ontario government named Tovah one of the province’s top ‘trailblazing’ women. In 2021, she co-authored a white paper on kids’ eco-anxiety, and outlined recommendations to address this growing issue. Tovah serves on both the Ontario Parks Board of Directors and Project Learning Tree Canada.

Monika Patel

Director of Communications and Marketing
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Canada

For  15 years Monika has acted as a passionate advocate for responsible resource management, both managing relationships within her organization and across a broad member and stakeholder network. She oversees development and dissemination of all communications – internal and external, B2B and B2C – for FSC Canada, her role extending to include membership engagement for North America. Monika also provides strategic communications support on high-profile international market research projects.

Tafari Jilany

Head of Corporate Marketing
Samsung Canada

A savvy, agile and data-driven senior leader in B2C and B2B marketing with a 15-year track record of driving innovative and winning marketing strategies, Tafari Jilany heads Corporate Marketing for Samsung Canada. He leverages his extensive leadership experience across all facets of marketing to successfully build Samsung’s brand, elevate corporate reputation, and drive business growth. Outside of work, Tafari is passionate about golf, hockey, gaming and spending time with his friends and family.

Anna-Lisa Prencipe

Head of Human Resources and General Affairs
Samsung Canada

Anna-Lisa is a culture leader dedicated to building and strengthening high-performing, innovative teams. Her focus on forward-thinking programs, innovative workplace policies and employee development have contributed to Samsung’s recognition as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for nine years running.

Congratulations to
last year’s winners

First place went to Triage Kiosk from Ontario, whose solution streamlined the admissions process for hospital emergency departments to easily process non-urgent cases. In second place was Alberta’s RadiCalgary, who designed a mobile hygiene unit for unhoused people. And third went to Dashmate from British Columbia, a dash cam technology made from sustainable materials.

FAQ FAQ

Who is eligible to participate in the contest?

Groups including at least one (1) teacher and up to fifty (50) middle school or high school students in grade 6-12 from publicly funded schools located anywhere in Canada (excluding Quebec) are eligible to participate. Charter schools that derive at least 50% of their operating funds from public sources are also eligible. All applications must be submitted by a full-time teacher who is employed by a publicly funded school (as defined above, and defined further in the Rules), 21 years or older, and a resident of Canada.

How can I enter the contest?

Submit an application here.

Where can I find full terms and conditions?

You can find applicable Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest terms and conditions here.

Do I have to be a STEM Teacher?

No, this contest is open to all teachers regardless of the subject taught. However, the topic of this contest focuses on STEM solutions and sustainability.

Does class size affect eligibility?

Teachers can choose to collaborate with as few as a single student, but no more than fifty students can make up part of a group. However, we have seen more success with groups that involve more than one student. Students do not have to be part of a teacher’s class to form part of the group.

Does it matter whether my class is virtual or in-person?

The Solve for Tomorrow contest is open to all classroom formats, whether your district is on a virtual, in-person, or blended model.

Will Samsung own my idea?

No. You will retain the rights to any intellectual property surrounding your idea. Our role will be to help you develop your idea and connect you with industry contacts to help you take your solution forward.

What will I win as a shortlist finalist, people’s choice, 3rd, 2nd, or 1st place winner?

  • Phase One
    Five shortlist finalist teams will each receive a Samsung cash voucher valued at $5,000 per team.
  • Phase Two
    First Place - $50,000 cash prize
    Second Place - $10,000 cash prize
    Third Place - $10,000 cash prize
    People’s Choice Award - $5,000 cash prize

How can I make sure I do not miss any information about the contest from Solve for Tomorrow?

Add sftcanada@samsung.com to your safe sender list on your email and check your spam/junk folders to make sure you didn’t miss anything.

My question is not answered here.

If you have any additional questions, please reach out to sftcanada@samsung.com for application support.

Terms and Conditions apply. The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest begins on Monday, November 27, 2023 at 12:01 a.m. EST and ends on June 30, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Open to residents of Canada (excluding Quebec residents) who are twenty one (21) years of age or older and are currently employed as full-time teachers in a public Middle School, Junior High School, or High School, grades 6-12, including Charter Schools that are 50% or more publicly funded in Canada. All Canadian publicly funded schools (except those registered and located in Québec) are eligible to participate. Schools that are publicly funded but outside of the provincially-run school board/district/division system, such as Charter Schools in Alberta and Federally-funded schools in FNMI communities, are eligible to apply if they meet the grade requirements. A full-time teacher, as defined above, is eligible to enter the Contest as part of a team with at least one (1) student or more up to a maximum of fifty (50) students (the “Participant”). The Contest is divided into two phases. Phase One requires teams to submit a written entry through the registration link on samsung.com/ca/solve between Monday, November 27, 2023 12:01 a.m. EST and Thursday, February 29, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. EST (the “Contest Entry Period”). Five (5) Finalist teams will be selected on or about Friday, March 15, 2024 by a panel of six (6) qualified judges selected by Samsung based on the selection criteria stated in the full Contest Terms and Conditions. Odds of winning depend upon the total number of contest entries received during the Contest Entry Period. Each Finalist will receive a Samsung Voucher with a total value of up to $5,000 per team. During Phase Two, each Finalist team will be required to submit a video between Monday March 18, 2024 at 12:01 a.m. EST and Tuesday, April 30, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. EST (the “Final Judging Period”). All eligible submissions received will be judged by a panel of six (6) qualified judges selected by Samsung based on the criteria stated in the full Contest Terms and Conditions, and three (3) Winners will be selected. Odds of winning depend upon the total number of videos received during Phase Two. The three (3) Winners shall receive winning prizes consisting of the following elements based on their final place: First Place – $50,000 cash prize (by way of a cheque), Second Place $10,000 cash prize (by way of a cheque), Third Place – $10,000 cash prize (by way of a cheque). The videos of all five (5) Finalists will exhibited on samsung.com/ca/solve, and members of the general public will be permitted to vote on their favourite Finalist Entry. Voting will be open from Monday, May 6, 2024 at 12:01 a.m. EST and will close on Friday, May 17, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. EST. The Finalist who receives the most qualifying votes will be awarded a cash prize of $5,000 (by way of a cheque). All prizes will be made payable to the Participant’s school for use by the winning teacher. Must correctly answer a mathematical skill-testing question to win. For more information and a copy of the full Contest Terms and Conditions, visit samsung.com/ca/solve.