Snow plow simulator, exhibits, learning activities
await Canyon County teens on visit to ITD

They're too young to drive on Idaho highways, but a group of young teens from Canyon County will learn how to operate a snow plow next week.

Seventh graders will take a spin in ITD's’s snowplow simulator when the department hosts the 2C Science Camp Wednesday (June 13) at Headquarters in Boise.

Click here for the day's agenda at ITD.

The 100 middle school students will learn how the transportation department uses science, engineering and other technical skills to build and maintain Idaho’s highways and bridges.

Additional activities will include demonstrations and tours of ITD’s materials labs, participating in an engineering project to construct marshmallow towers and an up-close look at the department’s Incident Response Truck and a dump truck / snowplow.

The 2C Camp already is under way, beginning Monday and continuing through June 15. Northwest Nazarene University is home for the Canyon County teens. Many local businesses and organizations are involved in the effort to encourage young people to stay in school, take more mathematics and science classes and consider planning their education for careers in engineering and technology.

“ITD staff seize every opportunity to help students understand how important education is to their future,” said Michelle George, senior human resources specialist and ITD coordinator for the experience.

“Our volunteers are role models who provide students opportunities to see how knowledge gained in the classroom is applied to real-world challenges,” George explained. “The volunteers often report that working with students through the department’s different education outreach experiences is personally fulfilling and sometimes just great fun.”

Published 6-8-2012