The EPICS (Engineering Projects in Community Service) in IEEE initiative had a record year in 2025, funding 48 projects involving nearly 1,000 students from 17 countries. The IEEE Educational Activities program approved the most projects this year, distributing US $290,000 in funding and engaging more students than ever before in innovative, hands-on engineering systems.
The program offers students opportunities to engage in service learning and collaborate with engineering professionals and community organizations to develop solutions that address local community challenges. The projects undertaken by IEEE groups encompass student branches, sections, society chapters, and affinity groups including Women in Engineering and Young Professionals.
EPICS in IEEE provides funding up to $10,000, along with resources and mentorship, for projects focused on four key areas of community improvement: education and outreach, environment, access and abilities, and human services.
This year, EPICS partnered with four IEEE societies and the IEEE Standards Association on 23 of the 48 approved projects. The Antennas and Propagation Society supported three, the Industry Applications Society (IAS) funded nine, the Instrumentation and Measurement Society (IMS) sponsored five, the Robotics and Automation Society supported two, the Solid State Circuits Society (SSCS) provided funding for three, and the IEEE Standards Association sponsored one.
The stories of the partner-funded projects demonstrate the impact and the effect the projects have on the students and their communities.
Matoruco agroecological garden
The IAS student branch at the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana in Colombia worked on a project that involved water storage, automated irrigation, and waste management. The goal was to transform the Matoruco agroecological garden at the Institución Educativa Los Garzones into a more lively, sustainable, and accessible space.
These EPICS in IEEE team members from the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana in Colombia are configuring a radio communications network that will send data to an online dashboard showing the solar power usage, pump status, and soil moisture for the Matoruco agroecological garden at the Institución Educativa Los Garzones. EPICS in IEEE
By using an irrigation automation system, electric pump control, and soil moisture monitoring, the team aimed to show how engineering concepts combine academic knowledge and practical application. The initiative uses monocrystalline solar panels for power, a programmable logic controller to automatically manage pumps and valves, soil moisture sensors for real-time data, and a LoRa One network (a proprietary radio communication system based on spread spectrum modulation) to send data to an online dashboard showing solar power usage, pump status, and soil moisture.
Los Garzones preuniversity students were taught about the irrigation system through hands-on projects, received training on organic waste management from university students, and participated in installation activities. The university team also organizes garden cleanup events to engage younger students with the community garden.
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