InTrans / Jul 04, 2021
InTrans staff support University of Iowa youth summer program
When the University of Iowa hosted the first annual Iowa National Summer Transportation Institute this summer, Institute for Transportation (InTrans) staff were happy to contribute to the cause of engaging 7th–9th graders with the world of transportation engineering as part of a focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) career opportunities.
The Iowa National Summer Transportation Institute (INSTI) virtual program, funded by the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Highway Administration, was held from June 21 to July 2. The goal is to hold the program in person in 2022.
Per the Iowa DOT, the objectives of the summer program are to improve STEM skills, provide awareness to middle and high school students about transportation careers (particularly minority, female, and disadvantaged youth), and encourage participants to consider transportation-related fields of study in their higher education pursuits.
InTrans staff members Neal Hawkins, Jennifer Shane, and Katelyn Freeseman all offered some of their time to speak to students virtually during the two-week summer program. They led students in a bridge building activity, demonstrated the real-world applications of transportation data, and discussed college life as a future engineering student.