School to receive $140K in technology equipment to enhance Science, Technology, Engineering and Math program
[Newark NJ, March 25, 2014] Oliver Street Elementary School (pre-K to 8th grade), part of the Newark Public School District, has been named one of five winners in the nationwide Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest, which challenges students to apply STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) solutions to problems facing their local communities. The Oliver Street students’ project, Guarding the Water Supply, focuses on cleaning the polluted Passaic River, which runs through their city. The school has won $140,000 in technology for the school, which will be used to further develop their river project as well as to enhance and expand the school’s existing STEM program.“Oliver Street School’s outstanding response to Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow contest reflects the hard work, ingenuity and creative thought that STEM education is all about,” said Newark Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Mitchell Center. “When challenged to relate their classroom learning and knowledge of 21st century technology directly to their own neighborhood, these bright and engaged students saw a grassroots opportunity to step up as environmental stewards of the Passaic River. The combination of civic action and academic rigor on behalf of the students, exemplary teaching by James Intrabartolo and visionary leadership by Principal Doug Petty is a prime example of the kind of excellence we cultivate here at Newark Public Schools. The entire district is cheering for Oliver Street School’s great accomplishment.”
The Oliver Street School STEM team has been working on Guarding the Water Supply since the fall, when they began designing a system to reduce the amount of street garbage flowing into the Passaic River after a heavy rain. The students researched, developed and created several models of sewer grates to catch the waste. They tested the grates during a storm, assessed and innovated based on how well the designs worked. The successful prototype became Oliver Street’s contest entry, which they then presented to a panel of judges at the South By Southwest Education (SXSWedu) conference in Austin, Texas earlier this month. Along with enthusiastic support from the officials, the team got thousands of “clicks” from their home state and across the nation as the contest was crowd-sourced through online voting. The students are hoping that their winning design can be put into actual use, both in their own community and beyond, as the grate they have designed can be modified to fit any sewer system.
Oliver Street, along with the other top five contest winners, will be able to choose their prize equipment from a list of Samsung products, which includes items like laptops printers, touchscreen displays and monitors, as well as Adobe Premier Elements licenses and cash grants from both DIRECTV and Forbes. Additionally, the winners will be invited to Washington, D.C. for a celebratory luncheon and arranged meetings with their respective senators and House representatives.
Watch the Oliver Street team explain and demonstrate their Guarding the Water Supply project in their contest video here.
Press
YouTube: 2014 Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest Winners
The Oliver Street School STEM team attended Samsung’s celebration for the winners of the Solve for Tomorrow contest in Washington D.C. As part of the program, winning students, teachers and principals were able to meet with Senators, Congressional representatives and White House officials. Watch the video (link below) for glimpses of Oliver Street School Principal Douglas Petty, STEM teacher James Intrabartolo and student team representatives Luis DeSouza (8th grade) and Gabriel Margaca (7th grade). Click here to watch the video.
US News: From Alfalfa to ‘Old Smokey,’ Students Use STEM to Solve Real-World Issues
A crime-fighting math equation, a better kind of air conditioner and potentially life-saving alfalfa plants were among the five winners of the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest.
Hailing from Florida, Montana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington State, the five teams of middle-school students, teachers and principals beat out thousands of other entrants in the competition, which challenged participants to harness science, technology, engineering and math to solve some of their communities’ most pressing environmental problems.
The winners were recognized at an awards luncheon in Washington, D.C, on Wednesday.
TIME for Kids: Small Solution, Big Change
Earth Day is held annually on April 22. It encourages Americans to organize events and initiatives to help improve the environment, both locally and nationally.
Barista Kids: Newark’s Oliver Street School Wins Big in National Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest
Oliver Street Elementary School, part of the Newark Public School District, has been named one of five winners in the nationwide Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest, which challenges students to apply STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) solutions to problems facing their local communities. The Oliver Street students’ project, Guarding the Water Supply, focuses on cleaning the polluted Passaic River, which runs through their city. The school has won$140,000 in technology for the school, which will be used to further develop their river project as well as to enhance and expand the school’s existing STEM program.
NJ Tech Weekly: Newark’s Oliver Street School a National Winner in Samsung Competition
The students in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) program run by teacher James Intrabartolo at the K-8 Oliver Street School, part of the Newark Public School District, have a lot to be proud of.
NEWARK: Newark’s Oliver Street School wins big in national Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest
Oliver Street Elementary School (pre-K to 8th grade), part of the Newark Public School District, has been named one of five winners in the nationwide Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest, which challenges students to apply STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) solutions to problems facing their local communities. The Oliver Street students’ project, Guarding the Water Supply, focuses on cleaning the polluted Passaic River, which runs through their city. The school has won $140,000 in technology for the school, which will be used to further develop their river project as well as to enhance and expand the school’s existing STEM program.
Verizon FIOS1: Newark’s Oliver Street School wins national contest
March 26, 2014
Oliver Street Elementary School has been named one of five winners in the nationwide Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest, which challenges students to apply STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) solutions to problems facing their local communities. The Oliver Street students’ project, Guarding the Water Supply, focuses on cleaning the polluted Passaic River, which runs through their city. The school has won $140,000 in technology for the school, which will be used to further develop their river project as well as to enhance and expand the school’s existing STEM program.
NJ TV News: News with Mike Schneider
The Oliver Street School segment starts at 24:28. Please fast forward to that time.
NJ.COM: Newark’s Oliver Street School students win national STEM prize
Oliver Street Elementary School was one of five schools nationwide to win the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest, a competition that asks students to apply STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) solutions to fix problems in their communities.
Oliver Street students won $140,000 for “Guarding the Water Supply,” a project they researched and designed to clean up the polluted Passaic River by designing a system of sewer grates to reduce the amount of street garbage flowing into the river.
News 12: Oliver Street School: Solve for Tomorrow
STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) class at Newark’s Oliver Street School coming up with solutions to solve some worldwide problems. And it could win them much needed technology for their school.
NJ TV News: Newark Students Create Sewer Guard to Reduce Pollution
A group of 18 sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders at Oliver Street Elementary School in Newark have come up with a plan to prevent garbage from entering the local sewer system and waterways. The proposal, called Guarding the Water Supply, has earned the students praise from teachers and administrators, as well as Samsung officials. The group is one of 15 finalists in the nationwide Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest, which challenges students to apply S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) techniques to solve problems in their communities.