Alberton School wins Samsung Solve for Tomorrow statewide competition

Alberton School is among 50 public middle and high schools nationwide that are moving forward as state winners in the 15th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow national STEM competition.

Alberton School was selected as the state winner for Big Sky Country and has been awarded a $12,000 Samsung technology prize package, including a Samsung video kit to showcase their proposed STEM solution. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, a way of integrating these subjects into a holistic approach to learning and problem-solving.

Behind this award is McKenna Akane and her middle school STEM class. Akane grew up in Boise, Idaho and attended Boise State before transferring to the University of Montana where she graduated from the Phyllis J. Washington School of Education with her bachelor’s degree in kindergarten through 8th grade education. 

During school, she was the programs manager at the spectrUM Discovery Area in the Missoula Public Library where she transported science museum exhibits and different interactive lessons to rural communities and reservations for student demonstrations. 

“It’s not replacing science,” she said of STEM, “but it’s an extension of it giving students extra opportunities to become familiar and competent in science and math concepts while integrating technology and what is called the ‘design process’ for engineering.”

Besides being in her element of being the STEM instructor at the school, she has another trait that is quite helpful.

“One of my skill sets that I didn’t realize I had until I started teaching last year is fundraising and finding grant money and acquiring materials. Whether it’s art supplies or furniture or technology, but also personal care items like hats, mittens and even food for the school,” she said. “One of the places I do that is a place called Donors Choose which is kind of like Go Fund Me, but it’s for teachers.” 

She helps other teachers navigate the system but just for her class she has received 3-D printers, a 360-video camera and her first 4 sets of virtual reality headsets plus the endless amounts of supplies that are not reusable in many of today’s technological devices. She’s kept at tally and with the latest award from Samsung, she’s been responsible for about $72,000 raised for Alberton School in her almost two years working there. 

“That’s more than I make, but then I knew that as a teacher I wasn’t going to get paid a lot, but it’s what I’ve always wanted to do,” she said.

This $12,500 package of technology merchandise is not a dump-and-go award, but an incentive to compete for the next level of grant money by using Samsung products for round 2 which is to help create a three-minute STEM solution pitch video. The video must demonstrate how STEM is being applied to address the community issue outlined in the student team’s Activity Plans.

Many students and educators lack access to authentic Native American tribal knowledge. Alberton School's project seeks to address this challenge by using VR to create immersive experiences, allowing students to learn directly from Native communities, bridging the gap between classroom education and lived cultural experiences. This effort aims to bring tribal stories to a wider audience, fostering deeper understanding and respect statewide, nationally, and internationally.  

Akane said, “Ideally, our project would work with and tell the story of reservation schools Indian Education for All standards which are state mandated.”

“These 50 state winners are recasting the role of STEM in solving matters close to their lives and their communities,” said Salman Taufiq, Head of Brand Marketing, Samsung Electronics America. “By addressing real-world issues with empathy and advanced technology like AI, machine learning, drones, and virtual reality, they’re preparing to lead in a rapidly evolving, impact-focused workforce.”

Akane extends a warm invitation to any rural or reservation schools to be a part of the ongoing virtual reality program that she would be more than happy to respond to emails or phone calls. These projects are ongoing and build from school location to area population so this will help other schools get their foot in the door for grants. 

She is working on next year’s plans today and would stress that her success is available to all, and there is strength in numbers coming from rural Montana and especially reservations schools. Contact Akane at makane@alberton.k12.mt.us or call (406) 722-4413 ext. 239.