Let’s Talk Science supports student engagement through Canada’s Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Challenge

Students in Grades 6 through 12 will have a chance to develop their 21^st century skills in a new project-based national education challenge. The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Challenge is designed to inspire students to reach their full potential and help better their communities by identifying and solving real-world problems with science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Samsung Electronics Canada is working together with its partners in education—Let’s Talk Science, The Learning Partnership and AsapSCIENCE—through the Solve for Tomorrow Challenge to inspire students everywhere about the possibilities of STEM. Together with their teachers, students are asked to identify an existing challenge or issue that they are passionate about in their community and use STEM to help solve it. Finalist schools will share $500,000 in Samsung classroom technology and a visit from AsapSCIENCE.

“We applaud Samsung Canada for taking a leadership role in supporting STEM education and skill development for our nation’s youth,” said Dr. Bonnie Schmidt, President and Founder of Let’s Talk Science. “The Solve for Tomorrow Challenge drives student-centred, technology-based learning in a meaningful, curriculum-aligned way that will inspire future leaders.”

In a 2014 Spotlight on Science Learning survey by Let’s Talk Science and Amgen Canada, 86% of teens polled said that personal interests drive their plans for post-secondary education and their future careers. The survey also revealed that most 13 to 17 year olds want jobs that allow them to use higher-order skills. The Solve for Tomorrow Challenge enables teens to explore issues they’re interested in and supports educators in making STEM learning highly relevant to students.

In support of the Solve for Tomorrow Challenge, Let’s Talk Science has developed a collection of tools and resources for teachers to use in developing and implementing a successful STEM-based project. These resources support students by positively affecting student learning outcomes through the Solve for Tomorrow Challenge. The resources are based on Let’s Talk Science’s expertise with engaging both educators and students in using STEM as a learning platform on a national scale for over 22 years.

Teachers will also be able to access STEM experts and glean ideas for relevant hands-on, STEM-based activities to support their student’s learning projects through:

• Let’s Talk Science’s CurioCity, a free web-based program with educator resources, curriculum-connected featured topics, diverse STEM career profiles, and classroom-ready content in the form of current and engaging articles and videos about real-world topics that illustrate the relevance of STEM to everyday life; and
• Let’s Talk Science’s free Outreach program delivered to schools and communities by more than 3,000 volunteer postsecondary students at more than 41 university and college campuses across Canada.

The first phase of the Solve for Tomorrow Challenge runs from September 23, 2015 to November 30, 2015.

For more information on the challenge, please visit: www.solvefortomorrow.ca.