School awarded A$12,000 grant to advance STEM programming

SYDNEY, April 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A team of students from Unity Grammar School has earned an Honorable Mention in the Otis Asia Pacific region in the Otis Made to Move Communities student challenge, a competition in which students apply principles of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) to propose solutions to real-world urban mobility issues.

Over the last several months, the high school students, with the guidance of Otis volunteer mentors, designed solutions leveraging AI technology aimed at enabling more inclusive mobility in their communities, and presented their ideas to Otis judges from the company's Asia Pacific region. Otis is the world's leading elevator and escalator manufacturing, installation and service company.

The students' solution, an AI-driven Smart Traffic Light system, features a timer capable of detecting emergency vehicles, assisting individuals with vision impairment, and enhancing safety for both vehicles and pedestrians.

"We'd like to thank the Otis volunteers for their mentorship provided to our students throughout this competition," said Laila Qadan, educator-in-charge from Unity Grammar. "It has been truly inspiring to see the students apply their knowledge of AI and STEM to develop a functional prototype for the competition, showcasing incredible dedication and effort throughout the process."

"At Otis, we're excited to support STEM education in Australia and highlight the critical role these skills play in shaping the future," said Pedro Marcal, Managing Director of Otis Australasia. "It's been incredibly rewarding to witness the innovation and creativity demonstrated by the students at Unity Grammar. We hope this experience has ignited the students' lasting interest for STEM and inspired them to keep exploring solutions to real-world challenges."

About the Made to Move Communities challenge

Launched in 2020, the Made to Move Communities challenge engages young minds to explore real-world 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 had students incorporate Artificial Intelligence into their proposals. Students are encouraged 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. Participating schools also receive grants at the conclusion of the program to support ongoing STEM education in their schools.

This year, more than 250 students from dozens of schools participated in the challenge. To date, the Made to Move Communities program has reached more than 1,000 student participants, involved more than 950 Otis volunteer mentors, and delivered nearly 90 grants totalling over $1 million to support ongoing STEM education at participating schools.  

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 2.4 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.