Samsung Honors 500 U.S. Schools in 16th Solve for Tomorrow STEM Competition, Totaling in $2M Prizes

Samsung Electronics America announced this year's Semi-Finalist teams for Solve for Tomorrow, an annual competition that tackles the tech-education gap by equipping grades 6-12 classrooms with the technology, training, and mentorship needed to apply STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) skills to real-world issues in their communities.

The 500 teams from across the country were selected from thousands of applications spanning all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The projects stood out for their innovative, community-driven solutions that leverage emerging technologies - particularly artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and sustainable tech - to address real-world challenges.

As part of this year's competition, all 500 teams will receive funding and recognition to further develop their ideas. One hundred teams have unlocked a $10,000 prize package of cutting-edge Samsung technology and will advance to the next stage of the competition, while the remaining 400 teams have been awarded a $1,000 grant and recognized with the title of Promising STEM Innovation. Collectively, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is offering a $2 million prize pool and has awarded more than $29 million in technology and classroom resources to public schools over the past 15 years.

This year's projects demonstrated how students are applying AI tools, design thinking, and emerging technologies to address urgent local and global challenges. Teams developed AI-powered risk assessment tools to support elderly populations, drones designed for rapid response during natural disasters, and Augmented Reality (AR) experiences aimed at preserving cultural heritage in rural communities, among many other solutions. Overall, 83% of the 500 projects leveraged emerging technologies, with 39% incorporating artificial intelligence or machine learning, 55% using 3D modeling or printing, and 27% integrating Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. The projects also reflected key thematic priorities, including public health and safety (19%), advancing accessibility through STEM (15%), environmental sustainability through technology (11%), and social change driven by sport and technology (4%), underscoring the breadth and real-world impact of student-led innovation.

Championing the Next Generation of STEM Innovators

As AI reshapes the future of work and learning, K-12 educators are navigating a new set of challenges-how to ensure students build the critical thinking skills they need to thrive. Earlier this year, Samsung research revealed a tension at the heart of this moment: While 81% of teachers worry students may rely too heavily on AI at the expense of critical thinking, 70% say they would be more open to AI if it clearly advanced social good and community impact. The message is clear: This is a pivotal opportunity to empower students to shape technology-rather than be shaped by it.

"Year after year, we've seen students push the boundaries of what's possible by incorporating emerging technologies like AI into their Solve for Tomorrow projects," said Allison Stransky, Chief Marketing Officer, Samsung Electronics America. "We're excited to see even more students leveraging AI in thoughtful, creative ways, and we're proud to partner with the Mark Cuban Foundation to help provide educators and students with the tools, training, and resources to use AI responsibly. Above all, we're inspired by what these young innovators continue to show us-and we can't wait to see how they take their ideas even further in this year's competition."

New Ambassadorship & AI Initiatives

This school year, trailblazing entrepreneurs Mark Cuban and Emma Grede are serving as the first-ever Samsung Solve for Tomorrow ambassadors, helping elevate AI literacy, emerging technology, and mentorship among students and educators nationwide. In support of this role, Samsung has partnered with the Mark Cuban Foundation to expand free AI training resources for teachers and provide immersive AI experiences for students that help demystify AI and instill confidence in its use.

What's Next for Solve for Tomorrow Students

100 Semi-Finalist schools now advance to the next phases of the competition, where they will create a 3-minute project video to bring their innovation to life. Each team will be paired with a Samsung employee mentor to help create compelling pitches for their STEM solutions to advance to the National Finalist phase.

Upcoming Competition Phases

Video submissions are due Wednesday, February 11, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Based on these submissions, judges will select 10 National Finalists, who will be revealed in March 2026. The National Finalists will participate in a live pitch event and present their projects to a panel of judges, with seven schools receiving $50,000 in Samsung technology and classroom supplies. From the National Finalists, one Community Choice Winner will be selected through online public voting to receive an additional $10,000 in prizes, and one Employee Choice Winner will be selected by Samsung employees to receive an additional $10,000. Judges will then name three National Winners, each earning a $100,000 prize package.