Schools earn grants as part of Made to Move
Communities™ Global Student Challenge, sponsored by Otis
FARMINGTON, Conn., May 7, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Four student teams from around the world are
regional winners in Otis' Made to Move Communities student
challenge. In the fourth annual competition, students developed
innovative mobility solutions aimed at expanding access to green
space in urban communities to advance residents' wellbeing. Otis
(NYSE: OTIS) is the world's leading elevator and escalator
manufacturing, installation and service company.
The global student challenge for 2023-24 included more than 240
students across 15 countries and territories. With the guidance of
Otis volunteer mentors, students used design thinking to develop
mobility solutions that would use cutting-edge technologies to help
increase access to parks for people living with disabilities or
from underserved areas of cities – improving residents' wellbeing
and shaping the future of urban communities. Teams then presented
their STEM-based proposals to a panel of Otis judges who selected
the winners and awarded financial grants to their respective
schools to advance STEM programming and benefit even more
students.
"In today's hurried and fast-paced environment, green spaces are
more important than ever, serving as a necessary retreat and place
for relaxation, recreation or social interaction," said Otis Chief
Communications Officer Randi
Tanguay. "I'm inspired by the next generation of engineers
and innovators who are helping to identify and solve mobility
challenges often experienced by those within their own communities
and neighborhoods. At Otis, we're proud to do our part to support
these students to think creatively while improving our world for
the future."
The winning teams' solutions are:
Liceo Polivalente Rigoberto Fontt Izquierdo, Colina,
Chile
Created a
comprehensive redevelopment plan for an underutilized open area
outside of the city. The plan includes reforestation of the area
and proposes a public-private funding model to provide convenient
public transportation to access and enjoy its scenic areas.
China Jiliang University, Hangzhou,
China
Developed a concept for a smart, green elevator
that would include visual, tactile, auditory and olfactory elements
often found in outdoor spaces, bringing a "virtual" green space to
those with limited access to such spaces.
Lykeio Irakleiou Attikis, Athens,
Greece
Prototyped a smart cane designed to give
sensory feedback to individuals with visual impairment to improve
navigation of green spaces.
Taipei Municipal Zhongshan Girls High School, Taiwan
Designed a concept for a
wearable detector embedded in eyeglasses that would pair with a
smartphone to alert the user of nearby obstacles when traveling to
and visiting green spaces.
Since 2020, this annual global student competition has engaged
hundreds of Otis colleagues as mentors to over 750 students,
developing and presenting mobility solutions to some of society's
most critical mobility challenges. The program is also driving
progress toward three of Otis' published ESG goals: impacting
15,000 students globally through STEM and vocational training,
directing 50% of giving to STEM programs and dedicating 500,000
colleague volunteer hours by 2030.
To learn more about the Made to Move Communities Challenge,
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 2.3 billion people a day and maintain
approximately 2.3 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 71,000 people strong, including 42,000 field professionals,
all committed to meeting 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.
Media Contact:
Katy
Padgett
+1 860-674-3047
Kathleen.Padgett@otis.com
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SOURCE Otis Worldwide Corporation