Creating the Next Generation of Transportation Professionals
Project Description
The transportation industry faces a growing shortage of professional engineers. This project investigated new methods for conducting educational outreach activities for K-12 students. Researchers developed two in-class educational outreach modules. The first in-class module introduces intermediate school students to the world of transportation and transportation engineering and teaches students about the principle of retroreflectivity. The second in-class module teaches kindergarten students about sign shapes and colors. In addition, researchers created several displays that they could easily transport and exhibit at various educational outreach activities.
TTI researchers also participated in educational outreach activities, including:- Four in-school events.
- Four field trips to TTI facilities.
- Three summer activities.
- One engineering day event.
The educational outreach activities conducted introduced the fields of transportation and engineering to over 2000 students. This type of educational outreach does not require financial or equipment (e.g., buses) commitments from school districts and does not require students to miss class. However, the time and effort for an individual professional is increased compared to the time and effort needed to conduct a field trip. Based on the positive experience and feedback, TTI researchers plan to identify other funding sources that would allow one researcher to conduct the in-class retroreflectivity module each year at Oakwood Intermediate School, in College Station, Texas, with the potential to expand the activity to other intermediate schools in the area.
For More Information
CE/TTI Building, Room 410
TTI/Work Zone & DMS Program
Texas A&M University System
3135 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843-3135
ph. (979) 845-7596 · fax (979) 845-6006
m-finley@tamu.edu
