Students to explore ITD during flurry of summer events

ITD is partnering with universities and local school districts this summer to provide young people an opportunity to learn more about the department’s wide range of transportation-related activities and career paths.

Summer outreach activities begin with as many as 100 students from Canyon County’s middle schools participating in separate field trips to ITD June 8 and June 15. Students will tour Headquarters and District 3 facilities where they will watch demonstrations, meet and learn from department personnel and try some hands-on projects.

The field trips are one aspect of a summer camp for young people meant to help keep them in school as part of Idaho’s “Go On” education campaign. Northwest Nazarene University, Treasure Valley school districts, the Canyon County Keeping the Promise Coalition and ITD’s Human Resource Services office collaborated to help fund the effort.

Boise State eGirls will offer young women, grades 9-11, the opportunity to explore engineering and computer science careers June 10-11. The workshops are held at Boise State University and led by the Society of Women Engineers. ITD volunteers will work with program participants.

Young people interested in aviation careers will be able to sign up for the Division of Aeronautics’ annual ACE Academy June 20 – 22. Students go on field trips to places like the airport terminal, a flight school, a military aviation facility and an air traffic control tower. Other activities include seminars on aviation careers and colleges, and a flight in the local area.

One lucky young woman will sit in the ITD director’s chair as part of Girls State on June 23. The Girls State program is designed to help young women to better understand city, county, state and federal governments. The young women learn how to participate in the state government functions.

The Junior Engineering Math and Science Summer Transportation Institute at the University of Idaho will be July 10-22 in Moscow with help from the Federal Highway Administration. This is the third consecutive year ITD’s Human Resource Services office was able to secure FHWA funding for the two-week residential high school program.

Published 6-3-2011