HDSB I-STEM teams selected as regional finalists in Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition
Students from the I-STEM program at Thomas A. Blakelock HS, Elsie MacGill SS and Aldershot School have been selected as regional finalists in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition, where students across Canada create innovative solutions to real-world problems using Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) learning. The competition focuses on how STEM can be applied to help address challenges, both locally and globally, enabling students to develop skills in critical thinking, collaboration and community responsibility.
Only 12 teams have been selected for the next stage of the competition where they will produce a five-minute video explaining how their solution would create a more sustainable, inclusive and healthier world using technology. The teams will enter into the second phase of judging on March 31 as they compete to become national finalists.
Each of the regional finalists have received $2,500 in technology to support and enhance STEM learning. In the next phase, students will have the opportunity to win $5,000 to purchase technology.
I-STEM is an innovative, regional program for secondary students in Halton and beyond. Students in this four-year program develop innovation skills related to engineering design and design thinking, entrepreneurial thinking skills and global competencies. Students learn to be prepared for technological change and disruption, globalization and shifting demographics.
Hassan Rasheed, Grade 11, Elsie Mac Gill SS and Karam Noori, Grade 11, Elsie MacGill SS:
"I-STEM has been more than just a program, it has been a life changing experience. The emphasis on leadership and innovation has pushed us to constantly learn, improve, and reach for excellence, both inside and outside the classroom. In Grade 10, I-STEM inspired our kinetic plates concept, which we presented as a school project. Revisiting the idea in Grade 11 for a Physics energy project unexpectedly opened doors to an exciting competition opportunity.
I-STEM has helped us keep our dream alive and has prepared us with the skills and confidence necessary to solve real-world challenges, such as the ones put forward by the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition."
Emmy Nah, Grade 10, T.A. Blakelock HS (left):
“What's really great about I-STEM is that it focuses in the first year on Engineering, and the second year on Entrepreneurship. So last year when we created this project we were looking into how we could physically create this prototype to help the world progress, and that was great because I learned how we as students are capable of creating solutions to problems that affect the whole world.
This year we have really added on with Entrepreneurship and our ability to actually impact people. We know we have ideas, we know what the future needs, and we know what we can bring to it. I think that's very powerful because of the fact that there are so many brilliant young minds around who don't have the voice or know how they can express themselves. So really, the I-STEM program helps, and lets us not only innovate but bring our ideas to life.”
Amrutha Kosuri, Grade 10, T.A. Blakelock HS:
“I think that the I-STEM program has helped me tackle large challenges and not be afraid of them. Before I entered this program, if I was told to solve a problem that I cared about, I would have found that extremely daunting. I wouldn't have known where to start or what to do at all. I wouldn't have even known which problems I care about and how to bring my solutions to life.
The I-STEM program really helped me learn how to do that, because now I'm able to take a problem that I'm given and ideate and iterate and craft a solution to solve that problem. The I-STEM program has just taught me a lot of skills that are helping me, improve my own skills, and allow me to help other people as well.”
Veera Kalsi, Grade 10, T.A. Blakelock HS:
“I think that the I-STEM program has definitely helped just in the way that it's structured and how it kind of prepares you in the real world, and how to do this kind of challenge. When I came in and I got to work with so many different people and community partners over the years, I've been able to solve so many different issues on completely different scales.
I've learned a lot, like technology and techniques to actually make a difference, and when you repeatedly practice these skills, you get better at it. Now I'm able to kind of understand who I work well with, how I work, and what the best options are for me when I'm doing this kind of thing. I think that the I-STEM program has helped me learn more about myself.”
Keerthana Srinivasan, Grade 12, Aldershot School:“Through I-STEM, I had the opportunity to not only explore global challenges but also develop the skills to analyze them in a meaningful way. Using tools like the Design Thinking Process, causal models, and gap analyses, I’ve been able to deconstruct complex issues—like faults in photovoltaic farms and satellites—by identifying their root causes and uncovering gaps in existing solutions.”
