Samsung named 300 public schools State Finalists in the 15th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow STEM competition – and six schools in Alabama were selected. Gulf Shores High School was one of the six to become a Samsung Solve for Tomorrow finalist.

The  Alabama State Finalists are:

• Oak Mountain High School in Birmingham, AL
• South Hampton K-8 School in Birmingham, AL
• Gulf Shores High School in Gulf Shores, AL
• Hoover High School in Hoover, AL
• Clark-Shaw Magnet School in Mobile, AL
• Phillips Preparatory Middle School in Mobile, AL

Following the State Finalists announcement, the competition advances to its next phase, culminating in April with the selection of three National Winners, each receiving a $100,000 prize package – part of a $2+ million prize pool. The full list of State Finalists can be found here.

Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is among the most awarded national STEM competitive programs, recently recognized with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Citizens Award for Best Commitment to Education Program, the Digiday Greater Good Award for Education, and a coveted Silver Anthem Award for Community Engagement and CSR. The education-based citizenship initiative empowers students in grades 6–12 to leverage the power of STEM to create innovative solutions addressing critical issues in their local communities. The competition engages Gen Z and Gen Alpha students to catalyze positive change by applying Problem-based Learning (PBL) principles, environmental stewardship, and social impact entrepreneurship to tackle some of society's most pressing challenges. By promoting active, hands-on learning, Solve for Tomorrow makes STEM more tangible for young learners, and opens doors to future opportunities in STEM education and careers.

For the next phase of the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition, teachers must create a focused activity plan. Plans must outline how students will execute their STEM project by defining the community problem, proposing a STEM-based solution, specifying objectives, detailing activities to reach their anticipated goals, and articulating the expected positive impact their solution will bring to the community. Activity plans are due Thursday, January 9, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Based on these activity plans, judges will select State Winners, who will be revealed in March 2025.

For a full recap of the Samsung Solve For Tomorrow program you can visit their site HERE.