Education Today Education Today Magazine
As schools across the UK place growing emphasis on creativity, careers education and real-world employer experiences, Samsung UK has expanded its Solve for Tomorrow programme to give more young people the tools and opportunities they need to turn their ideas into real-world impact.
Heading into its seventh year, applications for Samsung Solve for Tomorrow are now open for every secondary school, college and 11-to-18-year-old across the UK and Ireland, to enter and help turn a problem they care about into a tech-for-good solution. Entries for this year’s competition close on January 18 2027.
The programme is built on a simple belief: creativity isn’t a gift, it is a skill every young person can develop and it’s where innovation begins.
At its core is a competition that challenges young people to apply their skills and develop innovative solutions to real-world problems, creating positive change for people, communities and the planet. Supporting schools’ careers provision and the Gatsby Benchmarks, the programme gives young people direct access to Samsung volunteers, mentoring and industry experts, helping them understand how classroom learning applies to real-world careers.
Commenting on the launch, Soohyun Jessie Park, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Samsung Electronics UK, said: “Schools tell us the same thing time and again: they want practical curriculum support, real employer engagement, and the chance to bring learning to life for their students. That’s exactly what Solve for Tomorrow is built to do, working with partners including the Design & Technology Association, Design Council, Tech She Can and Internet Matters. As part of our ambition to positively impact one million young people by 2030, we’re expanding access this year through new regional workshops and enhanced mentoring. Talent is everywhere, and every young person deserves the chance to prove it.”
Teachers can deliver it in one lesson, six lessons or as self-guided independent study, with resources that need no specialist technology knowledge to run. It supports curriculum delivery in D&T, ICT, PSHE/Citizenship, Computer Science and Economics, though its flexible format means any department or subject can take part, alongside personal development and careers education, so schools can embed real-world learning without adding to staff workload or school budgets.
As teams progress through the competition, they receive mentoring from Samsung volunteers and access to prototype funding, helping them develop and refine their ideas before pitching their solutions to a panel of industry experts at the national final at Samsung KX in King’s Cross, London.
Winners can earn Samsung technology, national recognition on the Piccadilly Circus screen, and work experience with Samsung – a rare opportunity for secondary school students to spend time inside a global technology company that isn’t available through any other route. Participating teachers and schools are recognised too, with additional prizes and Samsung Certified School status on offer for those who take part.
To help ensure more young people can benefit from the programme, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is taking innovation education on the road and will deliver a series of regional workshops in Glasgow, London, Birmingham and Manchester, bringing expert-led innovation experiences directly to schools that need them most, backed by teacher training designed to build lasting confidence.
The impact is already clear. Last year, 84,137 young people took part across the UK and Ireland and 2,185 entered the competition, with participants’ confidence rising from 45% to 73% and overall capability improving from 43% to 65% across creativity, problem-solving, collaboration and self-management. Among teachers, 82% agree the programme helps students develop both STEM and essential life skills, and 71% say it improved students’ perceptions of D&T as a subject – one of the reasons Samsung Solve for Tomorrow was named Best STEM Education Platform Award Winner by the Edtech Innovation Hub.
“I can honestly say it has been the best competition we have taken part in during my 10-year teaching career,” said one maths teacher whose class took part last year.
“The students were highly motivated, genuinely intrigued by the challenge, and shared their ideas enthusiastically,” said one parent of a student who took part last year.
Students describe a similar shift, across every category. Nell, from County Limerick, Ireland, won the 14-16 category with AsthmaSense, a device that warns users before an asthma attack can start. “I learned to really not get into my head too much and not overthink things when it comes to presenting and public speaking,” she said. “It’s really helped me improve overall with my confidence.” Devansh, whose device The Green Cross scans wounds to monitor healing, won the 16-18 category: “I’ve learned how to present, how to sell an idea, and to put myself out there – things I hadn’t done before.” And Indy, whose Plant Enforcers app won the 11-14 category, still sounds surprised by how far it went: “How did we go from a little project in our classroom to a huge place in London and winning an award from Samsung? It’s insane.”
Samsung Solve for Tomorrow has now reached 401,444 young people and a third of all secondary schools across the UK and Ireland since launching in 2020, with 7,618 ideas entered so far – part of a wider goal to positively impact one million young people by 2030.
Entries are now open, register to access the suite of free resources and start innovating today at SolveforTomorrowUK.com.
