Ohio · National Grant

Samsung Solve for Tomorrow (Ohio)

Samsung's Solve for Tomorrow contest challenges U.S. public school students in grades 6-12 to apply STEM skills to community problems. Ohio public school teams compete for technology prizes worth up to $130,000.

Funding

Up to $130,000 in prizes (technology)

Eligibility

Ohio public school teachers and students, grades 6-12

Grade Focus

6-12

Subject

STEM / Community problem-solving

Deadline

Annual (fall entry period)

Type

National Grant

About This Grant

Samsung Solve for Tomorrow invites public school students across the U.S. to identify a real community problem and use STEM to design a solution. Ohio schools compete in a state pool, with top teams advancing to national competition. Prizes are awarded as Samsung classroom technology worth up to $130,000 for national-level winners.

Ohio offers rich community problem contexts for Solve for Tomorrow projects. Lake Erie water quality, Appalachian economic development, urban blight and revitalization in Cleveland and Detroit neighborhoods, and opioid epidemic recovery are all compelling challenges where student STEM solutions can make a real difference. Ohio teams that tackle locally resonant problems tend to tell the most compelling stories.

For Ohio educators, Solve for Tomorrow provides a project-based learning framework for CS and STEM classes. Students who build working prototypes using coding kits and physical computing tools produce stronger entries — the hands-on demonstration of a solution is what wins competitions.

View Samsung Solve for Tomorrow (Ohio) →

Eligibility

U.S. public school teachers in grades 6-12 (private schools not eligible)
Ohio public middle and high school students competing as teams
Teacher must register and lead the team through the application
Teams must submit a video explaining their community problem and STEM solution

Allowable Uses

Physical computing hardware (coding kits, micro:bits, robotics)
CS and AI literacy curriculum
Teacher professional development
Prototype materials, video production supplies, and presentation tools

Forward Education Products for This Grant

Forward Education offers classroom-ready kits that align with Ohio CS standards and fit cleanly into grant budgets. All kits include teacher guides and curriculum.

micro:bit Starter Kit — Entry-level physical computing, perfect for introducing coding and computational thinking.
MicroChat AI Literacy Kit — Hands-on AI literacy curriculum covering machine learning concepts for K-12 classrooms.
Coding for Good Kit — Project-based learning kit connecting coding skills to real-world community challenges.
micro:bit Robotics Kit — Advanced robotics and engineering challenges for deeper CS exploration.

Keep in Mind

Ohio's distinctive community challenges — Lake Erie, Appalachian economic issues, urban revitalization — make strong Solve for Tomorrow topics.
The video submission is as important as the technical solution; invest in production quality.
Enter in September when the contest opens; rushing a late application rarely reaches state finals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Ohio private school students eligible?

No. Solve for Tomorrow is for U.S. public school students only.

What do winning Ohio schools receive?

State winners receive Samsung classroom technology. National finalists and winners receive larger technology packages worth up to $130,000.

Can multiple teachers at the same school enter?

Yes. Each teacher submits one entry, so multiple teachers at the same school can each compete.

Do students need to build a working prototype?

Working prototypes significantly strengthen entries. Micro:bits and coding kits are ideal for building functional demonstrations of student solutions.

How can Forward Education help?

We provide curriculum alignment documents mapped to Ohio CS standards, pricing letters for grant budgets, and letters of support for qualifying applications. Reach out before you apply.