Solve For Tomorrow 2024 Top 20 Schools Announced @SamsungSA #SolveForTomorrow

Hi Guys, 

The Samsung & SITA 2024 Solve For Tomorrow Competition is back! The Top 20 public schools have been announced, and the contest promises to be a more thrilling experience in 2024.

Samsung and the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) have joined hands to launch the 2024 Solve For Tomorrow Competition, aimed at bringing the best out of public schools and learners. The competition has attracted a large number of entries from schools across the country, with the Top 20 schools now officially announced. This is an opportunity for these schools to showcase their innovation and creativity in solving real-world problems.

In the State of the Nation Address (SONA) this year, it was mentioned that the power of collaboration in overcoming challenges can lead to significant achievements. The country has made progress in the last three decades, thanks to the spirit of partnership. The Solve For Tomorrow competition is a testament to the impact of public-private partnerships and when these sectors come together, remarkable results can be attained.

Launched in Africa in 2023, this unique competition provides an opportunity for grade 10 and 11 learners from public schools in underserved communities to apply Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education to address the challenges faced by their respective communities while fostering creative thinking, problem-solving skills, and teamwork among learners. Its goal is to nurture socially innovative ideas, with a specific emphasis on environmental challenges.

Lenhle Khoza, B-BBEE and Transformation Manager at Samsung said: “As a global electronics giant that has, in the past 30 years consistently been supporting the country’s transformation agenda, we are well aware of the great importance of education through technology. This global Solve For Tomorrow initiative which uses STEM as the critical component of empowerment is helping us, together with our valued partners, to continue our quest of equipping young people from local public schools with critical skills and knowledge that they will need to not only build a better local economy, but also the world at large.”

Lenhle Khoza

Since its inception last year, the competition has helped learners grow and develop invaluable skills for success in the present and future. In conjunction with SITA, 51 pre-selected schools were piloted nationally. This competition is an excellent way for learners to gain a deeper understanding of STEM and display their scientific talents.

Tlali Tlali Head of Corporate Affairs at SITA said: “We understand the importance of collaborations and are very excited about the future prospects of our continued partnership with Samsung. As SITA, we remain committed to leveraging IT to support the delivery of e-Government services to all citizens and we are always keen to be part of impactful programmes such as the Solve For Tomorrow competition that allow us to effect positive change in both our youth and communities at large.”

The programme is designed to proceed through a phased approach. In the entry phase, schools across the nation are encouraged to participate in the competition. In phase one, the preliminary stage of the competition, the top 20 schools with the best entries for 2024 are announced, and they will proceed to the next phase. These schools will have the opportunity to address an environmental challenge and come up with concrete innovations to assist in the betterment of society. They will be supported by assigned Samsung employee mentors throughout the process.

In the second phase of the program, Samsung will provide resources to the learners while mentors guide them. During this phase, the learners will be required to conduct research and develop and submit their paper prototypes for the challenges identified in the preliminary phase. To support the teams from the Top 20 schools for 2024, they will attend Design Thinking workshops in their respective regions. Additionally, the selected schools' teams will be sponsored with a Samsung tablet and data to assist them in research and communication with their mentors. This is a critical stage of the program, and with Samsung's support, the learners will have the resources they need to succeed.

The Design Thinking workshops aim to teach learners valuable skills on how to approach their work, think critically, and act like designers. The workshops will provide a cognitive and structured process for human-centred, creative problem-solving and encourage learners to build strong teams. Additionally, learners will learn how to conduct research to develop workable solutions that can address environmental issues in their communities.

The Top 20 Finalists will be required to submit paper prototypes of their solutions, which will be evaluated by judges to determine the Top 10 schools that will proceed to the next phase. The Top 10 teams will receive funding to develop physical prototypes of their solutions and present them to a panel of judges in the final stage of the competition.

The Top Three schools with the winning prototypes will win cash prizes of up to R100,000 each, which will go towards STEM equipment based on the unique needs of each school. Additionally, Samsung has decided to reward each learner in the top three teams from schools with a Samsung device. The ultimate goal is for the winning schools to be like Mbilwi High School from Limpopo, which was the winner in 2023.

These are the Top 20 schools that will be competing this year: School name - Province

1. Khwezi Lomso Comprehensive School - Eastern Cape

2. HTS Louis Botha - Free state

3. Lenakeng Technical School - Free state

4. Lekgarietsi Secondary School - Free state

5. Tiisetsang High School - Free state

6. Tebogwana Engineering School of Specialisation - Gauteng

7. University of Johannesburg Academy - Gauteng

8. Buhlebemfundo Secondary School - Gauteng

9. Phulong Secondary School - Gauteng

10. NM Tsuene Secondary School - Gauteng

11. Lamula Jubilee Secondary - Gauteng

12. Mandisa Shiceka Maths and Science School - Gauteng

13. Ingqayizivele Secondary School - Gauteng

14. Umlazi Comprehensive Technical School - KwaZulu-Natal

15. Phendukani Full Service High School - KwaZulu-Natal

16. Adams College - KwaZulu-Natal

17. Mbilwi Secondary School - Limpopo

18. Moyaneng Secondary School - Limpopo

19. Thengwe High School - Limpopo

20. Maphuthaditshaba Secondary School - Mpumalanga

Link to launch event proceedings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RNVd5CsL60

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Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow Enters the Home Stretch as Finalists Develop their Prototypes @SamsungSA

Hi Guys, 

The ten finalist schools in Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow competition are in a race against time to complete their solutions in the third phase of the nationwide challenge. The current phase involves creating prototypes to solve the various societal challenges the learners identified in their respective communities. This leg of the competition is running until the end of September 2023.

The learners were prepared for this phase through purposeful Design Thinking workshops held within their respective regions in May 2023. At these workshops, they were taught invaluable skills on how to best approach and get the most out of their work, think critically, speak and act like designers, and a cognitive and structured process for human-centred, creative problem-solving. They were also encouraged to focus on building strong teams and trained on how to conduct research that could help transform their ideas from mere concepts to workable solutions that would address the identified issues within their communities.

The finalist schools, who hail from the provinces of Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo, now have just over a month until the end of September to work on and complete their prototypes. Following that, they will then present to a panel of judges on the 3rd of October as they vie for the top prize.

The different groups of learners are coming up with exciting and varied solutions for their communities that include an ambitious plan for better roads using sustainable materials; basic needs during load-shedding; alternative solutions for water and electricity; and clean water to name a few.

Grade 11 learner from Mbilwi Secondary School in Venda, Limpopo, Igoline Coelho, shared how her team is determined to blow the opponents out of the water. “Our team has been ready from the get-go to put in the hours and hard work needed to get us over the finish line. Ours is a very simple solution but with the potential for a high impact. The problem affects everyone and we are happy to make a contribution with our solution. We hope it can catch on and be used by many other communities. We are a very competitive team and are determined to win the competition.”

The finalist team from Acornhoek in Mpumalanga, Maphuthaditshaba Secondary School, believes they will be delivering the best solution that will help their community. “Our solution will help households and small enterprises, so it will also have an impact on the local economy. We are going to do our best to win especially because we are the only representative of our province in the competition,” said team member, Keabetswe Malaza (Grade 10).

Amahle Skhosana (Grade 11) from Adams College in Amanzimtoti, KwaZulu-Natal, said they’ve worked hard as a unit up to this point in the competition and discovered that they work well together. “Using science, technology, engineering and maths to solve our community’s problem has excited the entire team because of all the learning opportunities it presents. We are going to do our best to win to make everyone proud, but more importantly, to solve the problem.”

Sbongile Zulu, a grade 10 learner from Buhlebemfundo Secondary School in Tsakane (Gauteng) said her team feels ready to conquer after all the great insights and useful tips they learned from the Samsung mentors allocated to each school. “We are determined to do well in this competition because if we win, the prize is double – we get to solve a problem in our community and also get an awesome prize for our school. There is more than enough motivation.”

The Solve for Tomorrow competition officially launched in South Africa in January this year, and is Samsung’s contribution to youth empowerment and skills development in the information communication technology sector to help advance the country’s Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) agenda. It was designed to increase interest and proficiency in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) among grade 10 and 11 learners from underserved communities.

“As the learners enter this critical stage of the competition, we are getting excited and looking forward to seeing all the solutions they come up with. This bodes well for the future of our country as the youngsters are killing the proverbial two birds with one stone by learning and also improving or solving problems in their communities,” said Hlubi Shivanda, Director for Business Operations, Innovation and Corporate Affairs at Samsung.

The winning school will get a prize of R100 000 worth of STEM equipment for their school, while the second and third positions will get R50 000 and R30 000 worth of STEM equipment for their schools respectively. In addition to the main prizes, each of the learners in the top three teams will be rewarded with a Samsung device.

Aum Namah Shivay!

Till next time...Aashish
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STEM Learners Complete the Solve For Tomorrow Design Thinking Workshops @SamsungSA

Hi Guys, 

Samsung completed the second phase of the Solve for Tomorrow Competition, encompassing the Design Thinking workshops for the ten finalist schools - held in the five provinces (Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo) where the finalist schools are situated.

The workshops were developed to encourage learners to think, speak and act like designers, to build strong teams and gain research insights that could transform their ideas from the conceptual stage to a solution that addresses concerns within their communities. The competition officially launched in South Africa in January this year and is now in its second phase where the teachers, learners and mentors need to research and develop their prototypes in preparation for the finale.

The workshops assisted the learners to understand a cognitive and structured process for human-centred, creative problem-solving. They were also aimed to help them foster creative and critical thinking, collaboration and communication skills through project-based learning, as well as learn and practice key activities of the Design Thinking process including preparing for interviews, identifying a point of view, brainstorming and making a paper prototype. The learners were also taught and encouraged to immerse themselves in the work by doing it themselves to get a first-hand experience and thus the necessary skills to apply towards their creative solutions.

“This unique competition is our contribution to youth empowerment and skills creation in the information communication technology sector to help the country play a meaningful role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). It was designed to increase interest and proficiency in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM), gives grade 10 and 11 learners from underserved communities an opportunity to gain invaluable skills while solving some of their communities’ challenges,” said Hlubi Shivanda, Director: Business Operations and Innovation and Corporate Affairs at Samsung.

The Top 10 schools are: School Name - Province

• Mbilwi Secondary School - Limpopo
• Moyaneng Secondary School - Limpopo
• Phendukani High School - Kwa-Zulu Natal
• Adams College - Kwa-Zulu Natal
• Umlazi Comprehensive Tech - Kwa-Zulu Natal
• Rebatlathuto High school - Free State
• Lekgarietsi High School - Free State
• Maphuthaditshaba Secondary School - Mpumalanga
• Phomolong Secondary School - Gauteng
• Buhle Bemfundo Secondary School - Gauteng

The finalists will have until the end of September 2023 to work on and complete their prototypes. Following that, they will then present to a panel of judges at the beginning of October as they vie for the top prize. The winning school will get a prize of R100 000 worth of STEM equipment for their school, while second and third positions will get R50 000 and R30 000 worth of STEM equipment for their schools respectively. In addition to the main prizes, each of the learners in the top three teams will be rewarded with a Samsung device.

Samsung proudly supports Busan’s bid for the World Expo 2030.

Aum Namah Shivay!

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