Samsung welcomed Edward Morello MP to Thomas Hardye School in Dorset last week to celebrate this year’s People’s Choice Award winner Sophie – proof of what’s possible when students are given the tools to act on an idea they believe in. Registrations for 2026/27 are now open.
When Sophie pitched an app to protect the world’s oceans with no prior tech experience, she didn’t expect to end up on the Piccadilly Circus screen. Last week, Samsung welcomed Edward Morello MP to Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester to celebrate her achievement – and to show teachers across the UK and Ireland that their students could do the same.
Sophie won this year’s Samsung Solve for Tomorrow People’s Choice Award for The PAI Project, an app using satellite imaging and predictive AI to protect marine habitats from illegal fishing – created entirely through the programme’s design thinking process, with no prior tech background. The visit marked the close of the programme’s biggest year yet, as Sophie shared her journey with around 20 fellow STEM Club students and received a certificate of recognition from the MP.
Sophie, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow People’s Choice Award winner, Thomas Hardye School, said:
“Taking part in Samsung Solve for Tomorrow has been an amazing experience. It has helped me build confidence in my idea and think more seriously about how technology can be used to make a positive difference. Meeting Edward and sharing my project with other students at school was a really proud moment.”
In 2025/26 programme was the biggest yet, reaching more than 84,000 young people across 654 schools in the UK and Ireland. It helped increase student confidence from 45% to 73%, while capability in creativity, problem-solving, collaboration and self-management rose from 43% to 65%. The programme is now active in nearly a third of secondary schools across the UK and Ireland.
Soohyun Jessie Park, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Samsung Electronics UK, said:
“Samsung Solve for Tomorrow continues to empower young people to reflect on what truly matters to them whilst simultaneously channelling their passion into tangible action. The standard of entries continues to climb, and we can’t wait to see where our winners go next and the impact their inventions have on society.”
Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is designed to be easy for teachers to deliver, with ready-to-use lesson slides, student workbooks and CPD webinars developed with the D&T Association and Design Council. A condensed version can be delivered in as little as one lesson, with no tech expertise required. The programme supports the Gatsby Benchmarks and Ofsted’s Personal Development expectations, and 95% of participating teachers say they would recommend it to a colleague.
George Davis, Head of STEM at Thomas Hardye School, said:
“We are incredibly proud of Sophie and what she has achieved through Samsung Solve for Tomorrow. Opportunities like this help students apply their STEM skills in a real-world context and show them that their ideas can have genuine impact. It was a pleasure to welcome Samsung and Edward Morello MP to the school to recognise Sophie’s success.”
Edward Morello MP, Member of Parliament for West Dorset, said:
“I was delighted to present Sophie with the People’s Choice Award for the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow programme. Her project tackles an issue that matters deeply here in West Dorset, protecting our marine habitats. We need more young women taking the lead in STEM, and Sophie’s success is a brilliant example of the talent on our doorstep. I hope it inspires others at the school to back their own ideas.”
Teachers can register now at SolveforTomorrowUK.com to be among the first to access 2026/27 resources and theme details, and to receive free Imagination Toolkit ideation packs to help students start shaping their ideas. No tech is expertise needed – just a class of curious students and a problem worth solving.
As Sophie puts it: “As long as you have a genuine passion for it, you are good enough.”
