Untitled Document

TRAC volunteers return to Nampa clarroom

TRAC is back in the Nampa School District. Six new ITD engineers joined last year’s veteran group of volunteer engineers for training sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).

TRAC team volunteers
from ITD

New members
Cary McAlister
Dan Gorley
Karen Strauss
Kevin Brown
Mike Shine
Muhammad Zubery

Returning members
Greg Laragan
Amy Schroeder
Erika Stoddard
Monica Crider
Pam Golden
Michelle George
Mary Harker
Jeff Miles

The Transportation and Civil Engineering program (TRAC) is an AASHTO program designed to help engineers and teachers motivate and encourage young people to pursue careers in engineering.

“The demand for engineers at ITD continues to grow,” said Human Resources Manager Mary Harker. “These students today are our potential employees of the future.”

Training session, held Monday at Columbia High School in Nampa, offered guidance to both new and returning ITD and Nampa School District volunteers.

Last year’s educational outreach efforts at Columbia High School proved successful enough that the Nampa School District is considering how best to expand the program to Nampa High School, Sky View High School and some middle schools.

Middle school chief educational officers from the Nampa School District attended the training to observe the program, talk with TRAC volunteers and come up with a plan to eventually incorporate the program into middle school curriculums.

Educators and volunteers are trained in the use of TRAC PACS – self-contained educational modules. TRAC PAC activities assist teachers in illustrating engineering-related concepts through a variety of disciplines. ITD volunteers assist students and teachers with classroom activities and explain engineering methods.

Nationwide, the ITD TRAC program is unique in that educational modules are not only offered to engineering classes, but to English, mathematics and American government classes as well.

To volunteer or learn more about the program, contact Michelle George or Greg Laragan.

Photo: ITD volunteers join Columbia High School teachers for TRAC training. (Not pictured are: Mary Harker, Pam Golden, Amy Schroeder, Karen Strauss, Kevin Brown and Jeff Miles.)