The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), in partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF), announced that it has selected 12 finalist teams to advance to the final round of the Community College Innovation Challenge (CCIC), set to take place in June 2025. Led by Department Chair and Professor of Engineering Cristopher Algarra, Middlesex Community College was one of the colleges selected for its project entitled InSight.
“The idea for InSight was first inspired by Molly Burke’s YouTube video describing her personal struggles as a blind individual during the LA wildfires,” Algarra said. “Her call to action and plea for society to do more for the disability community deeply resonated with us and motivated our team to create a practical solution. We came together with the shared goal of addressing real accessibility challenges.”
MCC’s project is a wearable navigation aid designed to assist blind and visually impaired individuals in navigating their environments with greater confidence and independence, according to Algarra. The device uses a combination of LiDAR and GPS technologies integrated into a comfortable headphone design to provide spatial awareness and obstacle detection through intuitive audio cues.
The student participants include recent MCC Computer Aided Design (CAD) engineering graduate Cortney Schultz-Corson, of Lexington; recent electrical and computer engineering graduate Karl C. Hampton, of Chelmsford; and recent electrical and computer engineering graduate Jeremias Castillo, of Lawrence.
“Throughout the process, we collaborated extensively, conducting research, developing prototypes, interviewing potential users, and refining the design to ensure it offers both safety and ease of use,” Algarra said. “Our ultimate mission is to empower individuals with vision impairments to live more independently and navigate the world with greater confidence.”
Now in its ninth year, the competition seeks to strengthen entrepreneurial thinking among community college students by challenging them to develop STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics)-based solutions to real-world problems. It also enables students to discover and demonstrate their capacity to use STEM to make a difference in the world and translate that knowledge into action.
Teams consist of two to four students and a faculty or administrator team member. Finalists attend an Innovation Boot Camp in June and interact with entrepreneurs and experts in business planning, stakeholder engagement, strategic communication, and marketplace dynamics. The Boot Camp culminates in a Student Innovation Poster Session on Capitol Hill with STEM leaders and congressional stakeholders and pitch presentation to determine the first, second and third-place winning teams.
“Congratulations to the 2025 CCIC finalists,” said Walter G. Bumphus, president and CEO of AACC. “The finalist projects showcase the incredible talent and creativity of the nation’s community college students. I am proud to stand with our partners at the National Science Foundation to provide this forum to advance these student leaders as they become our future scientists, entrepreneurs, and engineers addressing real-world issues and positively impacting our daily lives.”
To receive updates about the 2025 Innovation Boot Camp and the winners, follow @Comm_College or learn more about the AACC Innovation Challenge.
As the voice of the nation’s community colleges, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) delivers educational and economic opportunities for nearly 12 million diverse students in search of the American Dream. Uniquely dedicated to access and success for all students, AACC’s member colleges provide an on-ramp to degree attainment, skilled careers, and family-supporting wages. Located in Washington, D.C., AACC advocates for these not-for-profit, public-serving institutions to ensure they have the resources and support they need to deliver on the mission of increasing economic mobility for all.
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