Saco Middle School’s eighth-grade students are announced as Maine state finalists in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest. Pictured, from left, back row: Abby Cashin, Natalie Chapman, Charlotte Ramsey, teacher Lindsay Girard, Amara Doe, Garden Hand, and Wyatt McNaughton; and front row: Eleanor Studtmann, Aislyn Cassidy, Juniper L’Italien, Aaron Garland, and Tucker Vincent. Missing from photo is student Spencer Pahigian. Contributed / Saco School Department

Saco Middle School has been named one of six Maine state finalists and among 300 nationwide in the 15th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition based on an eighth-grade project to create a prototype lobster buoy that monitors temperatures for climate change, ph levels and pollutants. SMS Teacher Lindsay Girard’s eighth-grade students received a $2.5K prize package and will now advance on to the state finals to compete against the other state finalists from Nokomis Regional High School, Nokomis Regional Middle School, Noble High School, and Camden Hills Regional High School.

Last year, Saco Middle School was named Maine state winner in the prestigious Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest for their 100% biodegradable, sustainable, and refillable markers. As the only middle school to win in the state, they secured a remarkable $12,000 Samsung prize package, a video kit to assist in the national competition, and a designated Samsung employee mentor. They hope to continue on to the national competition again this year.

Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is a national competition that challenges students in grades six through 12 to use their STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) skills to address real-world issues in their communities and affect positive social change. SMS’s winning project, conceived and executed by the inventive minds of eighth-grade students with the guidance of Girard, revolves around an early alert system for lobstermen. This innovative solution aims to create a lobster buoy that monitors temperatures for climate change and pollutants such as gas oil leaks and PH Levels.

“Being named a state finalist for the second year in a row is an incredible honor, and it builds on the momentum of last year when our students earned the distinction of being state winners,” said Lindsay Girard, extended academics ELA and math teacher at SMS. “The project was entirely student-driven, and I am continually impressed by their passion and commitment to working on innovative solutions outside the classroom. We’re thrilled to represent Maine again, deeply appreciate Samsung’s support, and encourage our community to follow our social media channels to track our students’ progress in addressing real-world challenges through STEM.”

For the next phase of the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition, teachers must submit an activity plan outlining how students will execute their STEM project. The plan will define the community problem, propose a STEM solution, set objectives, detail activities, and describe the expected impact. Plans were submitted on Jan. 9, with the state winners to be announced by the end of the month, and the Top 10 finalists announced in March. Each state winner will get a Samsung Video Kit to help create their “STEM solution pitch video” and $12,000 worth of Samsung technology to continue in the national competition.

To watch the SMS students’ progress, follow the Facebook pages @SacoMiddleSchool and @SacoSchools, and the Instagram page @SacoSchools. To learn more about the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition, search hashtags #SamsungSolve, #SFT_US_2024, or #EnablingPeople.