INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – Incline High School has been selected as one of five State Finalist schools in the 15th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow STEM competition.

The competition encourages students to use their STEM skills to develop devices and other projects that can resolve challenges within their communities. Students in Adam Shoda’s 11^th grade class spoke with the Incline Village Community Hospital to determine their efforts.  

“We went to the hospital and we asked them to come up with problems that any of their employees or departments had,” said Shoda. “They gave us a list of about four.”

With or without the competition, he said his students would still be working on these in-depth projects. 

The innovations include a footstep specifically designed to allow patients to be more stable while having their X-rays taken, and a visual system for nurses who no longer react to all auditory alarms. 

The program also allows students the opportunity to solve real-world problems through innovation. 

“I love trying to figure things out myself,” said Blake Rive, a junior at Incline High School. “He doesn’t specifically teach us but he teaches us how to figure it out.”

“The products they’re making don’t necessarily exist so they are going though identifying a problem, looking at previous solutions, creating prototypes, testing prototypes,” said Shoda. “They’re going through the entire engineering process.”

“I get to learn these wonderful skills that hopefully will help me,” Rive added. Nationwide, schools are focusing on innovation in solutions to climate change, mental health and wellness, sustainability and safety.

There are a total of 300 finalists from across the country, and the 50 State winners will be announced on January 28. At each stage, winners receive prizes from Samsung, which total over $2 million across the competition, with the three national winners receiving $100,000 prize packages.