Congratulations to Sammamish’s Principles of Engineering class, led by Teacher Kim Herzog, which was selected as one of five state finalists in Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow Contest – a nationwide competition that challenges students in grades 6-12 to apply STEM skills to find creative solutions to real-world issues impacting their local communities. These students exemplify our new vision: to affirm and inspire each and every student to learn and thrive as creators of their future world.
Herzog and her students focused on the use of electronic cigarettes by youth, which the FDA has labeled as an epidemic across America. They devised a plan to create a sensor capable of detecting propylene glycol, a chemical universally found in electronic cigarette vapor. The goal is to mass produce inexpensive and easy to install sensors for bathrooms throughout their school. The sensors would alert school administration when electronic cigarette vaper is present. The hope is to use this technology to help students make better choices about their health and education.
By being named a state finalist Herzog was awarded a Samsung tablet for her classroom and the class entered phase two of the contest, where they will submit an activity plan for the project. This plan details how students will execute the STEM project and how it addresses the issue they identified.
“The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest showcases the talents of student innovators who are identifying and addressing issues impacting their individual communities,” said Ann Woo, Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics America. “We are inspired by the desire of these students to ignite lasting change in their communities and look forward to seeing how their STEM projects unfold in the coming months.”
Learn more about the contest on Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow Contest website.