Lathrop High School in Fairbanks has been named the state winner for Alaska in Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow contest.
The aim of the program is to foster the use of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to advance societal progress. To that end, Solve for Tomorrow, now in its 15th year, challenges public middle and high school students to leverage STEM as a means of devising innovative solutions to everyday issues.
State winners are awarded a $12,000 prize package, which includes a video kit so that students can document their work.
Students at Lathrop High School are working on a lane guidance system to address the danger of driving on roads covered by heavy snow. If their pitch is successful, they will join nine other national finalists in presenting their project to a panel of judges.
The winners of that round will advance in the competition, at the end of which is a $100,000 prize package.
Previous winners include a team of students from Alabama who developed an easy-to-install, low-cost automatic door opener. Another group from Maryland explored using sargassum, a type of brown seaweed, to create biodegradable products.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in STEM occupations will continue to grow at a fast clip. In fact, an analysis by Adecco, a workforce solutions provider, shows that STEM jobs are growing twice as fast as non-STEM careers. By 2030, there will be more than 11 million open positions in related fields.
I don’t need thousands of dollars in study or awards to know the solution to this problem.
It is simple and we already have the tools needed.
Plow the roads.
Drive an all wheel drive car.
Have proper tires.
Learn to drive.
Easy peasy.