Gulfport High School’s STEM team wins state honors in Samsung competition

Gulfport High School’s STEM team took state honors earlier this year in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow STEM Competition.

As the state winner, the team earned a $12,000 technology package for the school.

The competition called for public middle and high schools to submit a detailed lesson plan that outlined how the students proposed to use STEM to address an important community issue.

Gulfport’s project involved developing a solar power case, a portable utility case that would allow temporary power to a family in need in the event of severe weather.

As part of the ongoing competition, Gulfport received a video production kit to document their project to showcase its solar power case.

All 50 state winners are competing to be named a Top 10 national finalist, which will be announced March 26. If they advance, Gulfport’s team would win a $50,000 prize package and move on to the next round, which names three schools as national winners in April. Those schools will receive $100,000 prize packages of Samsung tech and classroom supplies.

Gulfport was a national finalist in the 2017 competition. Nicholson Elementary in Picayune was a national winner in the 2014-2015 competition.