Peruvian students bring electricity to the rural homes
Improving STEM education for youth
Finalists of Solve for Tomorrow and their creative ideas
Mariela is a teenager from El Común, a small rural area in Peru. Every morning, Mariela wakes up before the sun rises to help her family with their daily activities. In a household with no access to electricity, Mariela lights up the kitchen with a flashlight to prepare breakfast for the family, while the rest makes their way to the farm or the hills to take care of the cows. Using a lantern is not a surprise in the neighborhood. Most of Mariela’s neighbors do not have power supply in their homes.
El Común residents rely on agriculture and livestock for their livelihoods and have limited access to electricity. The only place where the community can charge their electronic devices is the common farmhouse, which is about 15 minutes away from Mariela’s home.
Fueled by a vision to improve their community's quality of life, a group of secondary school students came together with a solution.
Carmen, Jairo, and Nerly proposed a solution called ‘Trapiche.’ “Trapiche uses the propulsive energy generated by a mill when it is rotated by a pack animal – like the horse at Mariela’s. The mill produces energy capable of turning on a light bulb or charging electronic devices,” explains Jairo.
“We connected the pulley with a belt. When the pulley rotates with the horse walking in a circle, the movement is converted into electricity via the transformer and battery. An inverter connected at the end has outlets and USB ports to plug in chargers and light bulbs,” he continued.
“With Trapiche, Mariela and her younger brother would not have to go all the way to the common farmhouse to charge their electronic devices,” said the team. With electricity supplied directly to their homes, students of El Común would be able to study at home even during dark hours and use their mobile phones and tablets without worrying about electricity.
Acknowledged for their innovative thinking and for creating positive change in society, the three students won first place in Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Peru. The team reflected on their achievement and expressed gratitude towards Samsung for providing a platform to bring their project to life. “We are extremely proud of enacting positive change within our community. We hope that our younger siblings and fellow students will continue to pave their way to realizing their dreams,” said Carmen.
Samsung Innovation Campus Thailand is a cutting-edge education program designed to equip young learners with the tools and techniques necessary to thrive in the digital era. Led by a team of experienced instructors, this innovative initiative provides students with dynamic learning environments that foster their growth and success.
The impact of the Basic Coding course offered at Samsung Innovation Campus has been nothing short of remarkable. Students who completed the program experienced an average increase of 48% in their test scores—an achievement that received positive responses from both students and teachers alike.
Participants have found the knowledge gained through the program to be highly applicable to their future aspirations and have eagerly recommended the program to others.
Sirithorn Pinthong, a student at Suankularp Wittayalai Rangsit School, initially lacked confidence in her Python skills. However, her perception changed significantly after enrolling in the Basic Coding course and receiving step-by-step guidance from the teachers and mentors. Witnessing her own progress, Sirithorn gained newfound confidence and developed a clear idea of her future career path in engineering.
Jitchaya Phuwanatum from Princess Chulabhorn Science High School endorsed the program, stating, “I can guarantee that Samsung Innovation Campus is full of knowledge and exciting activities.” She praised Innovation Campus as an exceptional platform that provides an enriching environment for eager learners. Through their participation in the program, Sirithorn and Jitchayawere able to expand their knowledge and skills in engineering and explore new opportunities with confidence.
Samsung Innovation Campus not only nurtures students’ enthusiasm for coding but also empowers educators to enhance their teaching methodologies.
Natsarun Nattanuntorn, a Coding and Programming teacher at Suankularp Wittayalai Rangsit School, attested to the profound impact the program had on her students. “Since my students started learning with me at Samsung Innovation Campus, all of them have realized that programming is not as terrifying as they had previously thought. Now, they have so much fun with coding and programming.”
Similarly, Naim Binbrorheng, a teacher at Princess Chulabhorn Science High School, dedicates considerable effort to providing a dynamic learning experience to his students. Recognizing the importance of putting theoretical concepts into practice, Naim incorporates Data Science into his Mathematics class. Thanks to the invaluable support of Samsung Innovation Campus, he can tap into his STEM knowledge and seamlessly integrate it into his teaching projects.
“Today’s education is focused on coding, and Samsung helps us provide the right education. Samsung has a great vision, and Samsung Innovation Campus has been a very useful program,” said Samorn Patho, Director of the science high school. With Samsung’s continued dedication, we hope more students and educators in Thailand will receive the guidance and resources they need to thrive.
Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is dedicated to fostering innovative thinking, creative problem-solving, and collaborative teamwork to tackle the most pressing societal issues. The program has played a rewarding role in reigniting the ingenuity and creativity of STEM students, which had been dampened by the challenges of remote learning and isolation during the years of COVID disruptions.
The 13th installment of Solve for Tomorrow in the United States has brought 10 remarkable national finalists from a pool of 50 state winners. These teams have been recognized for their extraordinary ideas, spanning from environmental solutions to assistive technology devices.
With a prize package of $50,000 in technology and supplies awaiting each team, the stakes are high as they strive to make a lasting impact on their communities. Let’s delve into some of their ideas.
In the city of Richmond Hill, Georgia, middle school students recognized how the veterans in their community suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Collaboratively, they created ‘Safe Sleep,’ a device that connects to a phone to facilitate better sleep for users. Jessica from the team explained, “Our goal is to help ease the distress of PTSD patients. Safe Sleep monitors the user’s pulse and, upon detecting sudden increases during PTSD night terrors, alerts and guides the user through breathing exercises via an app.”
Similarly, in Florida, a team from Strawberry Crest High School was determined to enhance living conditions for their community. Motivated by the tragic loss of one of their peers due to extreme heat, they embarked on a project aimed at saving young athletes’ lives. The students developed the ‘Human Health Band,’ a wearable sensor integrated with an app that enables coaches to monitor athletes’ body temperatures. When the temperature rises beyond the safety zone, the device sounds an alarm. “We received much support from software experts and gym coaches, enabling us to create a fully functioning prototype,” shared the team.
Several teams identified environmental concerns as pressing issues affecting their communities. In Bloomington, Indiana, high school students observed the perilous heat stress resulting from the urban heat island effect caused by rising temperatures. To combat this issue, they found an artistic solution, engineering the ‘Temp Mural.’ Painted with highly reflective and climate-positive barium sulfated paint, this mural serves to reflect heat. The team aims to expand the use of the special paint throughout the community to maximize its impact.
Meanwhile, in New Hampshire, students from the robotics club at Merrimack Valley High School sought to protect their community’s water resources. “We built Shelby, a turtle-shaped aquatic robot designed to remove phosphorus pollution from local ponds and rivers,” explained the team. Shelby filters phosphorus from the surrounding water, releasing clean water back into the environment. The team’s goal is to safeguard the phosphorus levels, particularly in the Merrimack River, which serves as a vital drinking water source.
All participants in Solve for Tomorrow have demonstrated remarkable innovation and perseverance. We deeply appreciate the efforts of all the teams in developing solutions to benefit their communities and anticipate discovering the national winner of Solve for Tomorrow USA.
