Facilitating Outreach Programs for Students in Rural Texas

Since 1998, the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) has expanded its efforts to build dynamic partnerships among the business, industry, and education sectors. Previous grants from the Southwest University Transportation Center (SWUTC) created pilot programs targeting minority populations in southern and coastal Texas. This current project strives to create long-term outreach programs to students in rural Texas built on these previous efforts. A number of the pilot programs are evolving into active programs funded by other public and private monies. These programs include an Industry to Work Day, participation in career fairs, teachers' workshops, colonias outreach, and assistance with the South Texas Summer Transportation Institute. In order for these programs to be successful, TTI needs to remain an active program partner. This project provided TTI team members with the opportunity to act as facilitators for two years to ensure program success.