Old Rochester Regional High School's technology class won the statewide prize in Samsung's "Solve for Tomorrow" contest in December, and this month, the students reaped their rewards.

On May 23, students in the class unpacked some of the $25,000 in rewards that the school received for winning the state competition, including Samsung Chromebooks, Notebooks, and a television.

The Samsung "Solve for Tomorrow Contest" is a national program that encourages students to solve real-world issues in their community using classroom skills in science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM).

Old Rochester technology teacher MJ Linan​e applied for the program near the beginning of the school year. His proposal included using STEAM skills such as drone technology to address  he effects of climate change on local, small-scale cranberry growers. The proposal he submitted stated that students would design a custom drone that will help local growers monitor the moisture content in soil for more effective, targeted watering.

As the project evolved, the class began working on targeted sensors which would remain in the bog, instead of using drones—something that Linane said, at the time, was "much more practical," not to mention more affordable for growers.

Several members of the technology class are still working on the sensors, and Linane said that he hoped to collaborate with local small-scale growers on testing out the sensors in the future.

The students of Old Rochester Regional High School's technology class unpacks the $25,000 in technology rewards that it received as the Massachusetts state winners in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow technology contest. Video courtesy: Old Rochester Regional High School