STEM competition winners inspired by recent tragedy

DOWNINGTOWN » Bishop Shanahan students won the Governor’s STEM competition with an idea inspired by the rescue efforts during the Barclay Friends West Chester fire.

Chester County high school students skilled in STEM pathways – science, technology, engineering and math competed in this year’s regional Governor’s STEM competition on Tuesday at the Chester County Intermediate Unit in Downingtown. This year, Bishop Shanahan High School finished on top, with Oxford Area High School finishing close behind in second and Coatesville Area Senior High School securing third

place.

The title of the winning proposal by Bishop Shanahan was “DOORA” Door Opener Operation Rescue Assistance answers the need for emergency personnel to quickly gain access to burning structures and for residents to easily escape residences. DOORA automatically unlocks doors in the event of fire, saving precious minutes during fire emergencies.

The team members were inspired to invent DOORA after the November 2017 five-alarm blaze at the Barclay Friends Nursing Home in West Chester. Firefighters, along with other firstresponders, Barclay employees and neighbors helped more than 130 people safely exit the building, and four people perished in the blaze.

“We saw just how quickly that fire spread throughout the building,” teammate Brendan Manning said. “In the event of a fire, even the smallest amount of time can make a life-saving difference.”

With the support of community partnerships, the Bishop Shanahan team researched their project’s concept and developed a prototype. CTDI (Communications Test Design Inc.), Fire Chief Grant Everhart of West Goshen Fire Company, and Chester County Detective Jim Ciliberto, all assisted the students. Such partnerships enabled the students to witness firsthand what skills are necessary to be employable and successful in STEM-related industries in PA.

Participating teams of students from the Chester County area were asked to select an issue, conduct research, design, construct and finally present a prototype that would be able to ensure a better quality of life for residents of Pennsylvania. Students were provided with a $500 stipend to aid in their mission. This year’s theme was “Improving Pennsylvania Through STEM.”

During the weeks of preparation for the competition, which aims to help students further their knowledge of STEM concepts, students collaborated with mentors from local companies to educate themselves about STEM careers and to aid them in their research and application. The students then presented their prototype and findings to a panel of judges who graded the presentations based on a statewide rubric.

Throughout the process of this competition, students gained life skills, including: creative problem solving, public speaking and teamwork.

“We worked incredibly well as a team, we collaborated and bounced ideas off of each other,” Bishop Shanahan student Alana Pappas said.

As the Chester County winners, the Bishop Shanahan High School students will advance to the state competition with an additional $750 stipend to improve their prototype during the next few months, and with consideration of the feedback from the CCIU panel of judges.

The Bishop Shanahan team members are Mark Gomba, Jordan Jaramillo, Samuel Johnson, Brendan Manning, and Alana Pappas, along with their advisor John P. Janasik, PhD and science faculty member of Bishop Shanahan, and IT specialist Michael Gomba. The students will travel to Lancaster to compete against other winning county teams from across Pennsylvania.

SUBMITTED PHOTO The winning team from Bishop Shanahan High School poses with their coach after the Chester County Governor’s PA STEM Competition award ceremony on Tuesday.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Coatesville Area High School students collaborate during the “Project-in-a-Box” challenge. They placed third in the Chester County Governor’s PA STEM Competition on Tuesday.