Colton Putnam and Cameron Ransom designing project to help Klamath Basin farmers
Dec. 11, 2024 / Henley High School seniors Colton Putnam and Cameron Ransom have been selected as finalists in the first round of the prestigious Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Education Contest. Their project aims to reduce planting and equipment costs for Klamath Basin farmers.
The national competition encourages students to use science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to address real-world problems impacting their communities.
Putnam and Ransom, who are advanced engineering design and development students in Kristi Lebkowsky’s Henley program, teamed up for the competition. Their first challenge: Identify a problem in their community.
“Today, agricultural equipment is expensive and highly advanced, and many farmers can’t afford the cost of buying and maintaining these machines,” Cameron explained.
“So, we developed a way to lower costs and reduce the time needed for planting using aerospace technology,” Colton added.
Their project focuses on designing and developing a drone that could be used to seed and fertilize fields, cutting down on equipment costs that can be prohibitive, especially for smaller farmers. They plan to use 3D printing technology to create the specialized drone, which would be programmed to fly over fields and release seeds. It could also be used for fertilizing.
“We are extremely proud of Colton and Cameron,” Lebkowsky said. “They are applying all the skills they’ve developed to create a project that positively impacts their community. And then to have Samsung say, ‘We not only want to move you to phase two, but we also see the value in your idea and are already awarding you a monetary prize.’ That’s huge. I’m thrilled they’re receiving recognition for the incredible work they’re doing.”
As first-round finalists, Colton and Cameron won $2,500 to purchase classroom technology for their school and earned the opportunity to win an additional $12,000 in the second round of the four-phase competition. They are among 300 finalists nationwide, and one of five finalist teams in Oregon. In the second phase, they will compete against the other Oregon finalists and must win in order to advance.
In this next phase, Putnam and Ransom will outline their plans for executing the project, including specific activities to achieve their objectives, the community impact, and how they will assess and measure the results. They also plan to interview local farmers to further research the issue and determine whether the project would benefit them.
Cameron has been involved in engineering courses since his freshman year. Colton began taking engineering classes his junior year and fully committed, enrolling in two or three courses each semester.
Both are interested in aerospace as a potential career field. Ransom hopes to attend Brigham Young University-Provo to study aerospace engineering. Putnam plans to attend Oregon State University, majoring in mechanical engineering with a minor in aerospace.
Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow contest provides students with a platform to develop creative solutions to challenges facing their communities. The final rounds of the competition offer significant prizes for the winning teams' schools—$50,000 in the semifinal round and $100,000 for the nationwide winner.
