Princeton High School Students Win $100K In National STEM Contest

PRINCETON, NJ – Students from Princeton High School were recently named among the three National Winners in a STEM competition, winning $100,00 for their school.

In the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest, students used technology to help preserve and facilitate the learning of a Mayan language.

The students developed Che'w, an AI-powered robotic stuffed animal, which speaks Mam – a Mayan language spoken by a small population of PHS students – to help safeguard endangered Indigenous languages.

Currently, 50 percent of the 6000 languages spoken worldwide are at risk of extinction.

This approach to language education, leverages tech to bridge linguistic gaps and empower Indigenous communities, according to contest officials.

The team of students worked under the mentorship of science teacher Mark Eastburn.

In February, the students were named state winners, bagging a cool $12,000 in technology expenditure for their school.

The students presented their STEM solution to a panel of judges during a live pitch event held at the Samsung DC office.

“Samsung Solve for Tomorrow provides a unique window into the issues that concern Gen Z, as well as the empathy, dedication, and sheer brilliance they bring to addressing them,” said Ann Woo, Head of Corporate Citizenship, Samsung Electronics America.

“I know our judges faced tough choices in picking just three of ten extraordinary solutions to community issues. While the National Winners’ innovations carried the day – equally important were the common threads of compassion, inclusivity, and problem-solving skills displayed in all ten National Finalist pitches.”

The other two winners were Brandywine High School, Wilmington, DE; and Hoover High School, Hoover, AL.

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