Princeton High School Students Are State Finalists In National STEM Contest

PRINCETON, NJ — A few months after winning the annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest, Princeton High School students have once again made it to the state finalist list.

Samsung Electronics recently named 300 public schools across America as state finalists in the 13th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest. Eight New Jersey schools were shortlisted including Princeton High School.

The school district has won a package of $2,500 in technology and school supplies. All state finalists advance to additional stages of the competition, and three schools will be selected national winners in May 2023. The winners receive prize money of $100,000.

Last year, Princeton students won the contest, bagging $110,000 for their school.

PHS students came up with a project to address food waste and combat greenhouse gas emissions in local landfills, by using the black soldier fly to bioremediate food waste into useable products, like animal feed and soap. More: Princeton High Students Win $110K For Project Combating Food Waste

The annual competition challenges public school students in grades 6-12 to explore the role science, technology, engineering, and math can play in addressing some of the biggest issues in their local communities.

The competition aims to engage students in active, hands-on learning that can be applied to real-world problems – making STEM more tangible and showcasing its value beyond the classroom.

“Between 2019 and 2029, the number of STEM jobs are predicted to grow 8 percent, a higher rate than non-STEM jobs. But while STEM skills are key to a 21st-century workforce, we know that national test scores in STEM subjects like Math have fallen by the largest margin in 30+ years,” said Michelle Crossan-Matos, Chief Marketing, Citizenship & Communications Officer, Samsung Electronics America.

“Solve for Tomorrow was designed to provide schools and teachers with an innovative, problem-based learning approach to STEM education to boost student interest, proficiency, and diversity in STEM. This fresh crop of impressive State Finalists is proof that we’re succeeding.”

During the fall schools submitted proposals that looked at several significant trends.

“Every year’s entries provide a window into the concerns and aspirations on the minds of that cohort of middle and high school students,” Ann Woo, Senior Director, Corporate Citizenship, Samsung Electronics America, said.

“A common theme this year is ‘connecting’ – whether that’s connecting people to people, peer to peer, across generations, or even around the globe. In fact, one school’s entry is based on its connection with a school in Ukraine – proposing a solution for providing solar power to students in a war-ravaged community. Climate change, school/student safety, and mental health are other top issues of concern for this year’s problem-solvers.”

The state winners will be announced in mid-February 2023.

Have a correction or news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com