Stith and students advance

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
Newcastle High School has again advanced into the next round, as a state finalist, of the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest thanks to science instructor Jim Stith and several dedicated students, according to a Nov. 14 press release.
According to Stith, the project the group proposed this year is different from the bat medicating device they designed last year, but the contest is still the same. 
“So the project we proposed this year was to create an intruder defense system,” Stith said. “The details are currently being kept under wraps, but the idea is to be able to have a teacher securely lock his or her classroom door quickly and easily during an emergency.” 
Several of the key players in the project are the same as last year’s group, Stith said. Members of the group are Stith, Markie Whitney, Shelby Davis and Owen Cox. They will lead the building and programming of the device if the group advances further in the contest. 
Newcastle High School was among the nation’s 300 state finalists in the 10th annual contest, a program encouraging sixth through twelfth grade students to solve real-world issues in their community using classroom skills in science, technology, engineering and math. Five of the 300 schools to make the latest cut are from Wyoming, with Powell High School, Central High School in Cheyenne, Evanston High School and CY Middle School in Casper joining NHS as finalists. 
“The Wyoming State Finalist classrooms were chosen based on their creative and strategic proposals to solve complicated issues that affect their communities,” the press release states. “All 300 teachers that submitted these finalist proposals will receive one Samsung tablet for their classrooms and have the opportunity to advance in the competition with their students for additional prizes.” 
A total of $3 million in technology is on the line through the contest, and teachers from the five state finalist classrooms will submit a lesson plan outlining how students will tackle the local issue using STEM skills to improve the greater community. 
“Since launching the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest a decade ago, we’ve seen students tackle some of the biggest issues facing their generation and this year is no different,” said Ann Woo, senior director of corporate citizenship at Samsung Electronics America, in the press release. “From suicide prevention to single use plastic alternatives, teachers and students are stepping up to creatively address these important issues head-on. We’re thrilled to congratulate the state finalists of the 10th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest and look forward to seeing these STEM projects progress in the coming months.”