Students in Brazil design a solution to treat contaminated water
Students create an innovative food waste disposal system
Reducing the digital skill gap among students
Samsung Solve for Tomorrow has been growing in Brazil since 2014 by providing diverse programs such as webinars, workshops, and mentorships to help students achieve their goals through various STEM initiatives and projects.
This year, a particular group of three students in Franca, São Paulo has risen among the 10 finalists. The students created a prototype to remove pesticides and other residues from agriculturally contaminated water in local areas. Check out their journey.
The idea for the prototype came about when Henrique, biology teacher and team advisor, provoked the students’ curiosity about the increasing use of pesticides in coffee plantations. As pesticides relate to damage on the ecosystem, pollution of water, and risk to animals, the students saw an environmental problem.
The team proposed to filter contaminated water using Macaúba fruits, which are very common in the region, hence the project name, ‘Macafiltro.’ “Water normally goes straight to the water tank of rural homes without a treatment network, so the intention of this project is to treat the water before it reaches houses by attaching a filter to the pipes that supply them.”
For Henrique, mentoring is a way of getting the students to work from other perspectives. “We know that the mentor’s role is to show the way, but the students’ project is theirs and no one will do it for them. Participating in programs like this can be difficult, but it motivates everyone, including us teachers.”
Anna Karina Pinto, Director of Corporate Marketing at Samsung Brazil, said, “We are delighted to see how Solve for Tomorrow has contributed to an improvement in people’s quality of life. It is inspiring how the knowledge and creativity of these students can bring more security to the local population.”
As sustainability has become more important than ever, young people are motivated to find solutions to tackle climate change and build a brighter future.
Solve for Tomorrow, Samsung’s education program helping students in utilizing STEM knowledge to solve societal problems, ignites the passion of the younger generation. Take a look at an example in the U.S.
Students at Princeton High School in New Jersey, U.S., noticed that food waste is one of the major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. “Food is typically tossed into the garbage, and when it reaches landfills, it decomposes underground releasing large amounts of methane,” says George.
The students started thinking about solutions and came up with an idea to utilize the black soldier fly, an insect that can eat up any food. They worked on multiple engineering designs and tried to integrate technologies such as Bluetooth-enabled sensors to help harvest larvae. Eventually, the students created a bioremediation circle by feeding the food waste to black soldier fly larvae, using the dead insects for animal feed, and utilizing oil to make soap.
The innovative food waste disposal project won Solve for Tomorrow. Becoming the national winners was not an end to their journey, but the beginning of a new chapter. The students continued to refine their ideas for another year.
“Since last year, we have turned an empty courtyard at school into a garden to carry on the project. Now, it is full of plants which are the fruits of 38 projects and more to come,” says Debolina.
Digital transformation has accelerated over time. In order to reduce the digital divide, digitization must be accompanied by programs aimed at offering the appropriate set of skills to be able to seize opportunities of new technological trends.
Samsung Innovation Campus is a global educational program that equips students with future-proof skills. In Italy, Samsung has worked collaboratively with six universities to host Samsung Innovation Campus. The aim of the program is to offer students advanced digital skills and leverage new technology trends including Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Cybersecurity, and the Internet of Things.
Samsung Innovation Campus consists of courses that integrate with pre-existing university courses, as well as traditional theoretical lessons. Students also develop a group project for a more immersive learning experience and familiarize themselves with the world of work.
Anastasia Buda, Corporate Citizenship & Internal Communication Manager of Samsung Electronics Italy, stated that digital innovation is not just a question of implementing new technologies, but training human resources with the right skills. “With Samsung Innovation Campus, we want to be alongside universities and teachers and make a contribution to reducing the skill gap, supporting students in their training path through the acquisition of new skills so that they can be promoters of positive change.”
Samsung’s collaboration with the universities allowed for the availability of experience and skills of its engineers to support the professors in helping students acquire advanced digital skills, while also enhancing soft skills including project management and problem-solving. The course will train the students to become professionals equipped with the appropriate skills in facing future challenges.
