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With support from the community, family, friends, the Eureka Springs High School won First Prize in the Samsung Four Seasons of Hope Essay Writing Contest that was held from Dec.1, 2009 to Feb.1, 2010.
"We want to thank everyone who went online and voted every day for our school. It was heartwarming to get such wonderful help and encouragement," said EAST Program Facilitator Mila Lynne Floro who wrote the Samsung 100-word essay.
The high school will receive $50,000 in the form of merchandise, software and a grant.
The prize includes $24,000 in Microsoft software and a $2,000 grant from DirecTV and the DirecTV Goes To School package.
It also includes $24,000 in Samsung merchandise, as described below:
* 12 24-inch LCD monitors;
* 10 16-inch screen notebook PCs;
* two color laser printers;
* five HD digital camcorders;
* 7 digital cameras;
* two Blu-ray players; and,
* 2 37-inch LCD HDTVs;
The Eureka Springs High School was the only Arkansas school to reach the finals of the Essay Contest.
There were 21 schools from across the country competing for prizes of classroom technology equipment, hardware and software.
The winner of the Grand Prize of $210,000 will be announced on March 31. There were 15 winners for the $50,000 First Prize, and five winners for the $10,000 Second Prize.
Floro said she wrote the Samsung essay with the EAST Program in mind, specifically for two EAST community projects: the Carroll County Technology Center (which offers free computer classes to all Carroll County residents) and the Carroll County Inventors Club (that develops invention, math and science skills among county youth), and for special events where students learn about the world.
The school's final score was based on Floro's essay (70 percent) and online voting (30 percent).
Eureka Springs' supporters went online and voted every day of the contest. Floro said it was an incredible display of determination and persistence.
The contest essay topic, she said, focused on social networking and on 1) How consumer electronics, computer equipment, and software can enhance the education process; 2) The advantage to students and schools that have these technology resources, and, 3) The unique and innovative teaching methods that are enabled by computer and consumer electronics technologies.
"I didn't even have Facebook and Twitter accounts when I started work on the essay," explained Floro. "The fact that my essay reached the contest finals shows that one shouldn't give up because of lack of experience or knowledge. Now the entire school district will benefit from the prizes."
According to a press release, Samsung's goal is to improve the quality of life for children and families across the nation who face major challenges.
Samsung is dedicated to meeting the needs of these children and their families through on-going partnerships with elite athletes, print publications and channel partners.
Since its inception in 2002, Samsung's Four Seasons of Hope and the Hope For Education programs have raised and provided more than $20 million to schools and the charities it supports across the country. Over the past five years, Hope for Education has provided millions of dollars in Samsung technology and Microsoft software to more than 270 K-12 schools across the United States in an effort to reduce the technology gap within the education system.
EAST, said Floro, is a unique high school class that emphasizes using advanced technology applications to solve community service projects.
In the process of solving community problems, EAST students learn to become creative, intuitive, adaptable learners who can solve unpredictable, real-world problems.
For more information about the EAST Program and how to support the Eureka Springs High School EAST Program, contact Floro at (470) 253-2936.