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Millsboro Middle School named state winner in STEM contest

January 18, 2020

Selected from thousands of entries nationwide, Millsboro Middle School in has been named a Delaware state winner in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest for its proposed plan to address ticks and the spread of Lyme Disease. 

Millsboro Middle teacher Sarah Betlejewski’s seventh- and eighth-grade students submitted the school entry. The local issue the students chose to address is that the tick population is on the rise in the U.S. and more people are being exposed to tick-borne illnesses. For the project, students are creating a tick trap that will use multiple lures to attract ticks and other vectors. An app will also be created to provide resources about ticks and tick-borne illnesses. It will also allow the public to become citizen scientists as they can upload trap photos that will be linked to scientific research communities.

The contest encourages teachers and students to solve real-world issues in their community using classroom skills in science, technology, engineering and math.

As one of 100 state winners, Millsboro Middle will receive $15,000 in technology and a Samsung video kit. The students can use the video kit to create and submit a three-minute video that showcases their project development and how it addresses the issue. The video will be used for the chance to advance to the next phase of the contest, and win additional prizes and educational opportunities.

“Samsung is extremely proud of the evolution of the Solve for Tomorrow platform over the past 10 years: fueling students’ passion and curiosity to tackle issues that affect their communities in unexpected and creative ways,” said Ann Woo, senior director of corporate citizenship at Samsung Electronics America.

Some 20 national finalist schools will be selected from the state winners to travel to the final event this spring, where they will present their projects to a panel of judges.

 

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