Team from Pembroke Pines Charter High School in Florida proposes smartphone app that uses Artificial Intelligence to aid visually impaired people; wins grants to support STEM programming at school
FARMINGTON, Conn., May 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Students from Pembroke Pines Charter High School in Pembroke Pines, Florida are the first-ever global winners of the Otis Made to Move Communities student challenge for their idea to develop a smartphone app that uses Artificial Intelligence to aid visually impaired people.
Students from Pembroke Pines Charter High School in Pembroke Pines, Florida are the first-ever global winners of the Otis Made to Move Communities student challenge.
More than 250 students from 28 schools across 16 countries and territories participated in this year's challenge. Students used STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) principles and leadership skills to design concepts that leverage AI to enable more inclusive mobility. Otis (NYSE: OTIS), which hosts the competition and supports it with colleague volunteers, is the world's leading elevator and escalator manufacturing, installation and service company.
"Congratulations to the students from Pembroke Pines High School. Their project showcased the innovative thinking that emerges when STEM skills and AI are applied to solve real-world issues," said Randi Tanguay, Otis Chief Communications Officer and a judge in the global competition. "As 'digital natives' these students are growing up in a world where the internet and technology, including AI, are a part of daily life. We hope this experience inspires them to keep exploring, identifying challenges, and finding opportunities to use technology for the benefit of their communities and society. I am confident these students are our future leaders and innovators."
Over the last several months, students at the participating high schools, with the guidance of Otis volunteer mentors, designed concepts leveraging AI technology to enable more inclusive mobility in their communities, and presented their ideas to Otis judges in each of the company's four regions: Americas, Asia Pacific, China and EMEA (Europe, Middle East & Africa). In previous years Otis selected winners at the regional level only. For the first time this year, the challenge also named a global winner.
The team from Pembroke Pines placed first in Otis' Americas regional challenge, competing against six other teams from across the U.S., Canada and Brazil. Pembroke Pines went on to compete against winning school teams from the three other Otis regions in the final round to determine a global champion.
"It has been inspiring to watch students learn how AI can be applied to make a positive difference in our community and the world," said Pembroke Pines science teacher Darlene Laffler. "Thank you to the students, our staff and the Otis volunteer mentors for making this experiential learning possible."
All schools with participating student teams received grants from Otis to support STEM programming at their schools. As global champions, the students from Pembroke Pines earned their school a total of $35,000 in grants. The three other regional winning teams each received $20,000 for their schools.
About the Made to Move Communities program
Launched in 2020, the Made to Move Communities program engages young minds to explore real-world urbanization challenges and develop innovative solutions with the potential to create more connected communities and improve mobility for all. This initiative brings together students, educators, and Otis colleagues as mentors with the goals of advancing STEM and leadership skills to help build the next generation of talent, ensuring future workforce readiness, and sustaining innovation.
Each year, the program focuses on a different theme that aligns with global priorities, such as sustainability, accessibility or technology. This year's theme challenged students to incorporate AI into their inclusive mobility solution. The program encourages students to think critically and creatively, applying STEM principles to address mobility-related issues. Through workshops, mentorship, and collaboration, participants gain valuable insights and skills that prepare them for future careers while making a positive impact on society. Each participating school receives a grant at the conclusion of the program to support ongoing STEM education in their schools.
To date, the Made to Move Communities program has reached more than 1,000 student participants globally, involved more than 950 Otis volunteer mentors, and delivered nearly 100 grants totalling over $1 million to support ongoing STEM education at participating schools.
To learn more about the Made to Move Communities program, visit www.otis.com/mtmc.
About Otis Otis gives people freedom to connect and thrive in a taller, faster, smarter world. The global leader in the manufacture, installation and servicing of elevators and escalators, we move 2.4 billion people a day and maintain approximately 2.4 million customer units worldwide – the industry's largest Service portfolio. You'll find us in the world's most iconic structures, as well as residential and commercial buildings, transportation hubs and everywhere people are on the move. Headquartered in Connecticut, USA, Otis is 72,000 people strong, including 44,000 field professionals, all committed to manufacturing, installing and maintaining products to meet the diverse needs of our customers and passengers in more than 200 countries and territories. To learn more, visit www.otis.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook @OtisElevatorCo.
