School wins $15,000 in technology and classroom supplies; advances to the next stage in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest

Bergenfield, NJ (January 9, 2020) - Selected from thousands of entries nationwide, Bergenfield High School in Bergenfield has been named a New Jersey State Winner in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest for its proposed plan to address antibiotic resistance, which is one of the most urgent threats to the global community.

The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest encourages teachers and students to solve real-world issues in their community using classroom skills in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Bergenfield High School is among the nation's 100 State Winners (at least one school from all 50 states) and will receive $15,000* in technology for its achievement. In addition, the school will also receive a Samsung video kit for students to create and submit a three-minute video that showcases their project development and how it addresses the issue. The video will be used for the chance to advance to the next phase of the contest and win additional prizes and educational opportunities.

"Samsung is extremely proud of the evolution of the Solve for Tomorrow platform over the past 10 years: fueling students' passion and curiosity to tackle issues that affect their communities in unexpected and creative ways," said Ann Woo, Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics America. " Reading the innovative proposals students and teachers have put forth this year exemplifies what we know to be true for every student - that young minds have just as much to teach as they do to learn. Our guiding citizenship vision is 'Enabling People,' and we are thrilled to celebrate another year of empowering future innovators to achieve their full potential through STEM learning."

According to the high school’s application, antibiotic-resistant bacteria now cause illnesses that were once easily treatable with the same antibiotics. The school community would greatly benefit from reducing the number of student absences resulting from illnesses that have become harder to treat, such as pneumonia, ear and sinus infections, and even meningitis—all caused by resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae, a bacterium that is easily spread through coughing, sneezing, and close contact with a sick person.

The BHS STEM team is working on finding ways to overcome the antibiotic resistance seen in certain strains of bacteria, by looking for common compounds that can be used in conjunction with certain antibiotics. These compounds may have a synergistic effect on a bacterial colony and possibly reverse the resistance to the antibiotic. The team will be working with non-pathogenic strains of various bacteria with known resistance to certain antibiotics for their research.

To read more, visit https://news.samsung.com/us/100-state-winners-advance-samsung-solve-tomorrow-contest/

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About Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest

For questions about the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest, please reach out to SamsungSFT@allisonpr.com.