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The five students from Colegio Técnico Profesional de Atenas in Costa Rica won the 2024 edition of the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow educational program, with their smart beehive project. This is the third regional championship won by the Ticos, who were also winners in 2020 and 2022.
At an awards event held at the emblematic National Palace of Guatemala, the members of the three finalist teams, Costa Rica, Belize and Panama, representatives of public and educational institutions and the media were present, and the winners of the Virtual Community and Samsung Community categories were announced, which went to Ecuador and the Dominican Republic, respectively.
In this new edition of the Samsung Education Program, which has been developed in the region since 2014, the projects enrolled reflected a broad social vocation and a connection with the reality of their communities. Students Valentina González Rodríguez, Dayanan Carvajal León, Alina Álvarez Guzmán, Constanza Camacho Herrera, Sofia Hernández Sequeira, together with teacher Yamil Vega Díaz, presented their project Apyphore an intelligent beehive divided into two sections, one for the bees’ habitat and another for the automated and non-invasive extraction of apitoxin (poison secreted by the workers) through electrostatic shocks. It includes sensors and cameras for monitoring, which provide real-time data to ensure the well-being of the bees and facilitate remote management by beekeepers, thus promoting the sustainability and conservation of these insects.
A lot of learning: the winners’ greatest achievement
In the midst of the excitement after winning the 2024 edition of SFT, the members of the Costa Rican team shared words of gratitude for this title that they are proud to take back to their country, while also feeling that they are winners of the significant learning they received during the course of the program.
Constanza Camacho, Dayana Carvajal, Alina Alvarez, Sofia Hernandez and Valentina Gonzalez, and professor Yamil Vega agreed on this final balance. For Dayana Carvajal, the experience was very productive. “I was able to develop new skills and learn a lot. Thanks to the support of all the people who trained us. That’s why we won first place. Her teammate, Alina Alvarez, also expressed her satisfaction and sent a message to the youth of the region. “I recommend students to be encouraged to participate as it is a unique experience”, she said. And who had the important role of tutor, Professor Vega, was emphatic in pointing out the importance of the training his students received: “SFT trains students in many skills, enhances their abilities and empowers them to defend their projects”.
11 years of growth and innovation
During the opening remarks of the event, Maria Fernanda Hernandez, Corporate Citizenship Manager at Samsung, thanked the joint effort of all the organizations allied to the Solve for Tomorrow program, whose work has made it possible for this educational program to grow exponentially since its launch in 2014. “After the pandemic this program expanded in scope and this year we had as participants 12,800 students from 11 countries in the region that includes all of Central America, the Caribbean, Ecuador and Venezuela”.
The emblematic and imposing National Palace of Guatemala, a historic monument of incalculable value for the national culture of this country, was a special setting for the young members of the three finalist teams to share the limelight in front of the audience. There they presented their projects and defended them in a synthesized manner based on their importance, viability, theoretical support, beneficiaries, interest and relevance.
Thank you for participating
After the emotional presentation of awards to the champion team and the other two finalist teams, Hernandez greeted and gave special thanks to the large community of students from the 11 countries that responded to Samsung’s invitation to participate in SFT 2024, which increased the motivation of the organizers and the governmental and private institutions that participated as partners: there were 12,821 students and teachers, which meant a 45% increase in the number of participants compared to the results of the SFT 2023 program.
