Brazil – 2025 – In the small city of Carnaíba, nestled in the Sertão do Pajeú region of Pernambuco, Brazil, a group of high school students is proving that scientific innovation can begin everywhere. Boasting a rich cultural heritage shaped by Indigenous, African, and European influences, Carnaíba’s most vibrant community is perhaps the Treze de Maio quilombo in the Caroá area. People there depend on farming and cassava flour production to make a living. These activities have also created environmental and health problems for the community, unfortunately. However, the winning entry in the eleventh edition of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Brazil — a STEM-based social innovation program that encourages public school students to develop solutions for local and global challenges — have figured out an innovative solution.

A Scientific Solution to a Community Problem

When looking into this pressing problem in the community, Angela Rafaela, Beatriz Vitória de Assis, Eduardo da Silva Oliveira, Luana Noêmia da Silva, students at ETE Professor Paulo Freire Technical Public School, quickly recognized the cause. It is the harmful disposal of manipueira, a yellow toxic liquid resulting from the cassava flour production process. This waste contains cyanide and can harm the environment and people’s health, causing dizziness, headaches and shortness of breath.

With help from their teachers, Gustavo Santos and Carla Robecia created Filtropinha, a low cost, eco-friendly filter. It cleans the manipueira using activated charcoal made from pine peels, as well as cotton, filter paper, and 3D printed parts. The easy-to-use filter fits onto regular water containers and costs only about $1 to make. It removes harmful toxins from manipueira, making the water safe to reuse and protecting the health of production workers and community members.

From Rural Roots to National Recognition

The team’s commitment earned them first place in Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Brazil program. Filtropinha stood out among 10 national finalists and became the only winning project from Pernambuco state.

The recognition had an immediate impact on ETE Professor Paulo Freire Technical School. The students’ teacher, Gustavo Santos, recalled, “These students became a source of pride for their families and an inspiration for their peers. Just a few years ago, we feared the school might close due to low enrollment.”

The scientific initiatives of the school and efforts of the teachers motivated six other projects to apply for the 2024 edition of Solve for Tomorrow. Currently, 17 out of 20 students working in the school’s science lab are now receiving scholarships from programs such as the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and the Facepe Foundation.

Education That Transforms

This success story reflects a broader transformation taking place across small and mid-sized Brazilian cities, where Solve for Tomorrow is creating new opportunities for youth to apply science and technology in meaningful ways. Since its start in 2014, the program has reached over 179,000 students, 39,000 teachers, and 7,500 public schools across Brazil.

“It’s essential to recognize the incredible value teachers bring to innovation, and how education becomes richer and purposeful for the students,” said Helvio Kanamaru, Samsung Latin America’s Director of ESG and Corporate Citizenship. “Solve for Tomorrow helps unlock that potential,and provides voice to students from so many different communities.”

ETE Professor Paulo Freire Technical School exemplifies this mission. Its curriculum, now recognized for excellence by both state authorities and national media, encourages students to identify real-world problems and create hands-on, sustainable solutions.

As student Luana Noêmia shared, “I had never even visited a cassava flour factory before this project. Now I understand the risks of manipueira and how innovation can help my community.”

A Model for Sustainable Impact

Beyond its technical achievements, Filtropinha is a symbol of youth-led transformation. It reflects a powerful blend of environmental consciousness, cultural awareness, and scientific rigor. The project also underscores Samsung’s commitment to inclusive, community-centered CSR, where innovation is not reserved for the privileged but cultivated in the heart of underserved communities.

With interest and participation continuing to grow, Mr. Santos and his students are already planning their next innovations. “This award has motivated everyone. The teachers and students alike, to dream bigger,” he said.

What started as a school project grew into a life-saving innovation, made possible by the mentorship, resources, and encouragement provided by Solve for Tomorrow. The program didn’t just teach science — it empowered students to protect their environment, safeguard lives, and create real change in their own backyard.

In the rural areas of Brazil, science is now more than a subject in the classroom. It’s evolved into a catalyst for change, a bridge to opportunity, and a tool for justice. And thanks to programs like Solve for Tomorrow, that message is being heard loud and clear.