The demand for transportation-related workforce development programs has never been greater. One reason is that many transportation agencies are witnessing significant turnover in staff as employees approach retirement. In addition, public transportation agencies must compete with private sector companies to attract top talent. In addressing this issue, the 2023 and 2024 WSDOT-PacTrans Summer High School Transportation camps were a significant effort toward attracting the next generation of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals to the field of transportation.
The overarching goal of the ongoing program is to ignite passion in high school students and empower them to consider advanced degrees and careers in STEM fields associated with transportation. The camps are intended to increase awareness among pre-college students about the varied and rewarding careers available in the transportation industry. The program is also strongly committed to broadening participation within the STEM workforce.
The camps were designed as a comprehensive, six-day, five-night residential program. They were generously sponsored by the Pacific Transportation Consortium (PacTrans) Region 10 University Transportation Center and WSDOT, and they were offered free of charge to all participating students.
The 2023 camps took place at Washington State University (WSU) in Pullman from July 24 to 29, 2023, and at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle from August 13 to 18, 2023. Combined, the 2023 camps welcomed 33 students, with 25 at the UW and eight at WSU. The 2024 camps took place at WSU from July 21 to 26, 2024, and at the UW from August 4 to 9, 2024, with 25 students at the UW and 11 at WSU.
The planning and development teams comprised experts in civil engineering, transportation engineering, urban design and planning, and construction management. The breadth of their expertise supported the creation of a curriculum that incorporated a wide range of perspectives and experiences. The resulting programs included guest speakers; interactive, participatory lectures; tours of transportation-related management centers, test sites, and laboratories; and a thought-provoking, student-led team project to design a complete street or assemble and control a robot car—all intended to enrich the learning experience.
The 2024 camp included promotion in both physical and digital formats. The digital marketing greatly expanded the outreach efficiency, and the program received more student applications than in 2023. The 2024 summer camp activities also encompassed more field trips and interactions.
The success of the camps in both years was evidenced by the overwhelmingly positive feedback received from both students and parents. The engagement of the guest speakers, the interactive nature of the participatory lectures, the eye-opening field trips, and the thought-provoking student-led team project all played vital roles in enriching the learning experience.
Program evaluations provided valuable insights and recommendations for refining both the planning and execution of the camp. The team is committed to enhancing the overall experience for future participants, and planning for 2025 camps is under way.
Authors:
Yinhai Wang, UW Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Jia Li, WSU Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Lingzi Wu, UW Department of Construction Management
Anne Vernez Moudon, UW Department of Urban Design and Planning
Ayumi Manawadu, WSU Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Haifang Wen WSU Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Sponsors:
PacTrans
WSDOT
WSDOT Technical Monitors:
Jackie Bayne
Pamela Vasudeva
Ami Moseley
WSDOT Project Manager: Doug Brodin