Small businesses looking for future employees with practical artificial intelligence skills may find an emerging talent pipeline in an unlikely place: middle and high school classrooms.

Samsung is expanding its Solve for Tomorrow program, a national STEM competition that helps U.S. public school students develop technology-based solutions to community problems. The initiative will add AI-focused classroom resources, broader mentorship and support from MIT Solve, a social-impact organization that connects innovators with funding and expertise.

The program could matter to small businesses because it targets skills many employers already struggle to find, including digital fluency, problem-solving, communication and entrepreneurial thinking. Samsung says the initiative will reach 100,000 teachers over the next five years through free curriculum, professional training and classroom support.

Key takeaways for small businesses:

• Samsung is introducing an AI Foundations curriculum developed with the Mark Cuban Foundation.
• Teachers will receive access to free professional development through Samsung’s Teacher Academy.
• MIT Solve will help review applications, identify winners and support student teams.
• Emma Grede, entrepreneur and host of the Aspire with Emma Grede podcast, is returning as a program ambassador.
• The 2026–2027 competition deadline is Nov. 23, 2026.
• The national winner could receive up to $50,000 in Samsung technology and classroom resources.

The expansion comes as students adopt AI faster than schools build formal instruction around it. Samsung’s commissioned research found that 95% of U.S. high school students have used AI, while only 16% say their schools provide classes or lessons on how to use the technology. In addition, 68% report that their schools offer no formal instruction on using AI.

The survey also points to a potential workforce concern. Twenty-six percent of students gave their teachers a D or F for AI capabilities, suggesting that educators may need additional training before they can confidently guide students through the technology’s benefits and risks.

Students appear more motivated when technology connects to real-world needs. According to the research, 51% said they would show greater interest in learning about or using AI if they saw it make a meaningful difference for people or communities. At the same time, 63% worried about becoming too dependent on AI, and 56% feared losing critical-thinking skills.

That combination offers a useful lesson for small business owners. Young workers may not respond to AI training framed only around software features. They may engage more strongly when businesses connect AI to concrete problems, such as reducing food waste, improving accessibility, streamlining customer service or helping local residents access services.

“Some of the best ideas start with young people looking at a problem in their own community and asking how they can make it better,” said Cordell Hull, Executive Vice President and Head of U.S. Public Affairs at Samsung Electronics America of Samsung Electronics America. “As AI becomes a bigger part of their lives, we want students to have the skills and confidence to use it as a tool to reimagine how problems can be solved. Solve for Tomorrow brings together students, teachers, mentors and entrepreneurs to turn that curiosity into action and give young people a real opportunity to see what they’re capable of building.”

For small businesses, the program may create several practical opportunities. Owners could volunteer as mentors, offer local business problems as project prompts or partner with schools to provide workplace visits and feedback on student prototypes. These relationships can help companies build local visibility while introducing students to careers they might not otherwise consider.

A small manufacturer, for example, could work with a student team on inventory tracking or energy efficiency. A health and wellness company might help students think through privacy and accessibility issues in a digital tool. A retail business could provide feedback on a customer-service chatbot while emphasizing when human judgment remains necessary.

The program’s entrepreneurship focus could also help students understand what happens after they develop an idea. Select teams will receive access to entrepreneurs, mentors and experts who can help them study scalability, strengthen prototypes and consider whether a solution could work beyond one community.

“The most exciting thing about this generation is that they are already tech-savvy and have the creativity and ambition to solve real problems in their communities,” said Grede. “The next step is giving them the confidence, mentorship and opportunities to turn their ideas into something real. That is what I love about Solve for Tomorrow: it shows young people that they do not have to wait to become entrepreneurs, innovators or leaders. They can start solving problems in their communities right now.”

Still, business owners should approach school partnerships with realistic expectations. Student projects may be early-stage concepts rather than production-ready products. Companies that participate will need to set clear boundaries around intellectual property, data privacy, cybersecurity and the use of customer information. They should also avoid treating AI as a replacement for foundational skills such as writing, research, judgment and communication.

The research indicates that students want AI to strengthen those capabilities. Nearly one in three said they wanted to use AI to develop writing and communication skills, while 30% wanted to build technical, digital, critical-thinking and problem-solving abilities.

MIT Solve’s involvement could add structure to the competition, but it does not eliminate the challenges involved in turning prototypes into viable solutions. Funding, maintenance, regulatory compliance and user adoption can all determine whether an idea succeeds outside the classroom.

“At MIT Solve, we believe that young people possess incredible ingenuity and are uniquely positioned to address the complex challenges facing their communities today,” said Hala Hanna, Executive Director of MIT Solve. “In working with Samsung on their Solve for Tomorrow initiative, our goal is to help students take their ideas as far as possible, empowering the next generation of problem solvers.”

The competition is open to U.S. public school students in grades 6 through 12, with teachers submitting entries on behalf of their classrooms. Samsung plans to announce promising innovators and semifinalists on Jan. 20, 2027, national finalists on March 18, 2027, and the winner at a final event in April.

Small business owners interested in mentoring, hiring future talent or helping shape responsible AI use can review the program and educator resources through Samsung’s original announcement. Applications and additional materials are available through Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow program.

Image via Google Gemini

This article, “Samsung Finds 95% of Students Use AI, but Few Get Formal Training” was first published on Small Business Trends