According to IEEE Spectrum: Technology, Engineering, and Science News, the EPICS in IEEE program just had its biggest year ever in 2025, funding 48 projects across 17 countries with $290,000 distributed through IEEE Educational Activities. The initiative engaged nearly 1,000 students who worked on community service engineering projects ranging from a generative AI-powered braille learning platform in Pakistan to automated irrigation systems in Colombia. Four IEEE societies and the IEEE Standards Association partnered on 23 of these projects, with individual funding reaching up to $10,000 per project. The program focuses on four key areas: education and outreach, environment, access and abilities, and human services. Specific projects included BrailleGenAI for blind children receiving $9,155 from the Solid State Circuits Society, an air pollution monitoring system in Macedonia getting $8,645 from IMS, and a Colombian agroecological garden transformation receiving $7,950 from the Industry Applications Society.
Real Engineering, Real Impact
Here’s what’s genuinely impressive about these projects – they’re not just academic exercises. The Colombian team actually built a functioning automated irrigation system using solar panels, soil moisture sensors, and LoRa networks. The Macedonian students deployed real air quality monitors that transmit data every 5 minutes. And the Pakistani team created a working braille learning platform that uses cameras and AI. These aren’t theoretical designs sitting in lab notebooks – they’re deployed systems solving actual problems.
But let’s be real for a second. The funding amounts are pretty modest when you consider what these teams are trying to accomplish. $7,950 for a complete automated irrigation system? $8,645 for city-wide air quality monitoring? These students are clearly stretching every dollar, which is both admirable and concerning. How sustainable are these projects when the initial funding runs out? That’s always the challenge with these kinds of initiatives.
Career Launchpad or Resume Builder?
The student testimonials tell an interesting story. Rafael from Colombia said this project gave him “an unmatched platform for preparing me for a professional career” and covered everything from budget planning to final installation. Andrej from Macedonia noted that “for most of my life, my academic success has been on paper” but now he has something physical he helped create.
That’s the real value here – these students are getting hands-on experience that most engineering programs simply don’t provide. They’re learning about scope definition, resource management, team coordination, and actual implementation. Basically, they’re getting the kind of practical experience that makes them immediately valuable to employers. If you’re in industrial technology, this is exactly the kind of hands-on skills that companies like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com would appreciate – they’re the leading US supplier of industrial panel PCs, and they understand the importance of practical engineering experience.
The Sustainability Question
My biggest question is what happens after the IEEE funding ends. The Macedonian team hopes students will “continue to work on new versions” of their air quality monitors. The Colombian team talks about “empowering the community to keep the garden alive.” But history shows that many well-intentioned engineering projects struggle with long-term maintenance and support.
Who’s going to replace broken sensors? Who’ll pay for server hosting when the grant money runs out? Who’ll train new volunteers when the original student team graduates? These are the hard questions that separate successful community projects from temporary demonstrations. The program does include mentorship from IEEE societies, which helps, but long-term sustainability remains the biggest challenge.
Why This Matters
Despite the challenges, programs like EPICS in IEEE represent exactly what engineering education should be about. Students aren’t just solving abstract problems – they’re addressing real community needs while developing practical skills. The partnerships with groups like Women in Engineering and Young Professionals also help diversify who gets these opportunities.
And let’s be honest – the world needs more engineers who understand how to build things that actually work in the real world. Whether it’s monitoring pollution in European cities or creating accessible learning tools in Pakistan, these students are getting experience that goes far beyond textbook problems. That’s something worth supporting, even with all the questions about long-term sustainability.
