Reiffton Students Earn First Place Finish in Regional STEM Competition
Turning trash into treasure earned three Reiffton 5th graders a first-place finish among 35 teams from across Berks County at the 2026 Pennsylvania Keystone Competition, held late last month at the Berks County Intermediate Unit! Their innovative concept for a machine that could transform discarded recyclable materials into fibers for clothing took top honors at the regional event, which is part of a statewide STEM competition for students in grades 5-12.
The competition puts students' creativity, teamwork and problem-solving skills to the test by asking them to develop solutions to real-world challenges under tight time constraints. This year's challenge was to reimagine Pennsylvania's state parks, which students learned about on the day of the event and had just two hours to brainstorm, design and build a model of a proposed invention before presenting their ideas in a "Shark Tank" style format.
Reiffton fifth graders Devin Lichten, Kendall Rupert and Amely Alvarado-Rueda rose to the occasion with Eco Weave, a concept for a machine that would collect discarded recyclable materials at state parks and transform them into microfibers that could be woven into clothing. A second Reiffton team of Grayson Rauenzahn, Caleb Landeck and Simeon Manivasagam also represented Exeter with an equally thoughtful concept: A guided track designed to help wheelchair users safely navigate park trails.
Both teams earned their spots at the competition after participating in an in-school challenge organized by Ms. Stefanie Shade, who asked students to develop and present ideas for improving Reiffton School. Students worked in small groups before presenting their proposals to a panel of in-school judges, who selected the teams that would represent Exeter.
For Ms. Shade, watching her students take home first place was an especially proud moment. It marked the first time a team she coached had won the competition, and the excitement may not be over yet! The winning students are already interested in entering their invention into another competition later this school year.
Congratulations to all of our young Exeter innovators for demonstrating such creativity, teamwork and problem-solving skills! We can't wait to see what you dream up and solve next!