PARIS, France 2025 – “At first, we wanted to stop the water. But then we realized it was better to just outsmart it.” This realization was the turning point for a class of 15 ninth-grade students from Moulin des Prés College, a middle school in Paris, who have elevated a classroom project into an award-winning, potentially life-saving device. Their innovative response to the crisis has grown into a beacon of hope for students around the country, symbolizing community resilience, youth innovation, and tech-driven civic engagement.

It all started last year in October, when devastating floods swept through central France. As part of their participation in Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow (SFT) program, the class of ninth graders decided to combine technology with creative problem-solving to help address the crisis. Their initial expectations were to find a concrete solution to a clear problem by leveraging new skills, and they were motivated by the chance to showcase their skills and represent their school.

Flooding struck them as a prescient issue since October’s flooding was the worst that central France had seen in 40 years. In particular, the students mention how “seeing the damage on television, social media, and in newspapers made us want to act.” This is why they started from the point of simply wanting to prevent water from entering areas, but then decided that improved prevention and heightened awareness were more effective and achievable outcomes.

Their problem-solving process resulted in the development of the Alerto System, a smart device that aims to increase safety during floods by combining warning lights with an audible alarm and charging function. The students intended to create a useful and innovative solution, and, as they put it, “We truly feel we have succeeded in making something functional and relevant.” This success is borne out by the interest the device has garnered from professionals at the Solve for Tomorrow finals and Cap Créa, as well as regional and national entrepreneurship events.

Coordinated Collaboration: Clear Roles and Professional Guidance

The 15 members of the project weren’t just classmates; they became a startup-style task force, each with a clearly defined role. For Project Management, Lucas, Fils-Elie, and Grégoire ensured global coordination, project planning, and adherence to deadlines throughout the journey. Under R&D, Basile and Félix worked on programming the system, implementing the technical aspects of the connected object, and validating its features.

Then, for Communication, Luna, Rania, Inès, and Maïté were responsible for institutional communication, particularly engaging with local authorities and external entities that could use the Alerto device. Finally, under Marketing, Adèle, Rachel, Fadie, Hugo, Maud, and Hermine designed the visual identity of the object, created the logo, defined the slogan, and worked on everything that could enhance the product in the eyes of the public and jury.

The group also benefited greatly from the presence of Frédéric Fauchère, their Samsung mentor, who they call a “major asset.” Thanks to his efforts, they were reminded to focus on the problem, structure their thinking, and always step back to get to the essentials. His professional expertise brought a more concrete dimension to their approach, with supportive yet demanding guidance, as well as the expansion of their network and access to new resources.

Memorable Experiences and Exciting Future Prospects

For the class, one of the biggest challenges was accepting that their first idea, to simply prevent water from entering areas, wasn’t the most relevant solution. They describe it like this: “We had to totally change direction to find another type of inspiration. It was challenging, but we learned so much from the reassessment process.” Besides that initial hurdle, they talk about the thrill of qualifying for the finals and then participating in and winning the final pitch itself.

Moving forward, the group will meet with experts from Bpifrance, a French public investment bank, to discuss filing a patent. They also plan to participate in the BIG event in September and meet potential partners. Additionally, they have been approached by the director of the Académie de Paris and local educational authorities, to work on raising awareness about 100-year floods along the Seine River. This type of support validates the importance and promise of the Alerto device, and it will help sustain the project as it progresses.

A Successful Fourth Edition of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow in France

The Solve for Tomorrow program was designed by Samsung Electronics to foster creative thinking and encourage young people to solve societal problems. Organized for the fourth time in France, this year the competition brought together more than 1,260 middle and high school students who imagined concrete solutions around the theme "Acting for our territories, building tomorrow". As one of the five finalist teams, the class won electronic equipment including tablets, interactive and collaborative whiteboards, and other devices, which will be used to equip their school.

The technology teacher at Moulin des Prés, Lahcene Lahmiani, sums up the project’s impact: "The journey we’ve taken throughout this project has been extraordinary. I feel incredibly proud of my students. Despite their young age, they were able to respond to a local, social issue in a very concrete way — and they defended their project brilliantly in the final. Solve for Tomorrow goes far beyond a typical school project. It’s both a springboard for the participants and a chance to imagine and design real solutions to real societal problems.”