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BCIU Students Earn Honorable Mention at Keystone STEM Competition

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  Published in Science and Technology on Wednesday, December 17th 2025 at 2:12 GMT by WFMZ-TV

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BCIU Students Rise to the Challenge of the Keystone STEM Competition

The Keystone STEM competition—a statewide showcase of creativity, problem‑solving, and engineering prowess—has become a touchstone for students across Pennsylvania who want to turn their classroom knowledge into real‑world solutions. In the latest edition of the contest, a team of students from Brewster Community College (BCIU) in Reading’s bustling Berks County area made headlines by tackling a pressing environmental problem with a prototype that could change how rural communities access clean water.

The Big Picture: What Keystone STEM Is All About

According to the competition’s official page, Keystone STEM (pronounced “skay-uhnt”) is “a partnership between the Pennsylvania Department of Education, local community colleges, and industry partners designed to give students a hands‑on experience that bridges the gap between academics and industry.” The contest invites teams of up to ten participants from K‑12 schools, community colleges, and universities to develop a prototype or a detailed proposal addressing a real‑world challenge—anything from energy efficiency to public health. Judges evaluate projects on innovation, feasibility, and potential impact.

BCIU’s involvement is a recent development; the college has only been sending teams to the competition for the last two years. Yet the team’s performance indicates a promising trend for the local STEM pipeline.

The Project: Portable Water Purification for Rural Communities

Led by sophomore engineering major Michael “Mikey” Torres, BCIU’s team set out to create a low‑cost, solar‑powered water purification system that could be deployed in remote areas of Appalachia where clean water access is scarce. The project—called “SolaPure” in the competition’s presentation deck—uses a combination of solar panels, a micro‑filtration membrane, and a graphene‑based charcoal filter to remove bacteria, viruses, and heavy metals from contaminated water.

The prototype, roughly the size of a shoebox, can process 50 liters of water per hour with a power draw of less than 5 watts. The design is modular, so that components can be swapped out or upgraded as new technologies emerge.

“What we’re doing is not just about engineering,” Torres explained during the live interview conducted after the competition. “It’s about solving a problem that affects real people. And the fact that it runs on sunlight makes it a sustainable solution.”

The project was developed over a 12‑month period, during which the team participated in workshops hosted by the local “Innovate PA” program—a collaboration between community colleges and industry leaders aimed at fostering entrepreneurship. The team also consulted with environmental scientists from Penn State’s Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, who helped refine the filtration media.

The Journey: From Concept to Competition

The team’s journey began in the fall of 2023, when the BCIU STEM coordinator, Dr. Elaine Richards, announced a call for volunteers. The call attracted nine students, all of whom had taken at least one advanced engineering or science course.

Over the next six months, the team met twice a week in the college’s makerspace, using 3D printers, CNC machines, and a small laboratory to prototype various filtration media. Funding was partially provided by a $2,000 grant from the Berks County Innovation Fund, which the college secured through a partnership with a local solar company.

“Getting the money and the equipment was a big hurdle,” recalled senior biology major Samantha Lee. “But we also had a lot of community support—from a local church that donated space for the final demo, to a high school that let us borrow a larger solar panel.”

In the spring, the team refined the prototype and practiced their pitch. Dr. Richards arranged a mock judging session with faculty from the engineering and biology departments, who gave the students feedback on both technical and presentation aspects.

The competition itself took place in the summer, in a large gymnasium in downtown Reading. The event was broadcast live on the WFMZ news channel, giving the team—and the entire college—a platform to showcase their hard work. The final judging round was rigorous: teams were evaluated on technical documentation, the viability of the solution, potential for scalability, and the clarity of the presentation.

Results: Honorable Mentions, Learning Experiences, and Next Steps

BCIU’s team finished in the top 15 out of 120 entries statewide, earning an Honorable Mention in the “Public Health” category and a prize of $1,500 in research grant money. While the prize money wasn’t enough to cover the entire project’s cost, it’s a significant boost that will fund further refinement of the SolaPure system.

In addition to the award, the team was invited to attend the Keystone STEM symposium in Harrisburg, where they will present their findings to a panel of industry experts and policymakers. The college plans to host a “Student‑Led Innovation Fair” in the fall, inviting local high school students to see the SolaPure prototype in action.

“It’s amazing to see how far we’ve come,” Dr. Richards said, “and I’m excited for the next cohort of students who will build on this foundation.”

Community Impact and Future Outlook

BCIU’s success underscores a broader trend of community colleges becoming a vital part of the STEM talent pipeline. By giving students access to real‑world problems and industry mentorship, the college is producing graduates who are ready to tackle complex challenges in their future careers.

The local community has taken notice. Several small businesses have expressed interest in partnering with BCIU to develop the SolaPure prototype into a marketable product. A group of local farmers who had previously struggled with water contamination are already in the process of setting up pilot sites where the prototype will be tested in field conditions.

The article concludes by highlighting the “Keystone STEM competition as a stepping stone for students who want to move from the classroom to the marketplace.” For BCIU, the competition was not just a contest—it was a catalyst for innovation, collaboration, and community engagement.

For more information on the Keystone STEM competition, students and interested parties can visit the official competition website. To learn about BCIU’s STEM program and future projects, visit the college’s STEM page.