2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Nowadays, the transportation industry faces significant workforce development challenges, including an aging workforce, demographic shifts, rapid technology advancement, and a lack of interest from younger generations. As a result, the need for workforce development programs related to transportation is at an all-time high. To tackle current issues in technology, environmental sustainability, and human resources, a holistic approach is essential – beginning with early student engagement and education before college. K-12 outreach programs led by universities are designed to introduce students to various fields and career options. Nevertheless, there is a lack of comprehensive discussion and documentation on their benefits and results, particularly in transportation engineering. This paper presents a DOT-funded summer camp hosted by a university aimed at increasing the number and diversity of students pursuing higher education and careers in transportation-related fields. The camp curriculum comprised lectures by senior transportation professionals, student-led projects, field trips, evening activities, and mentorship opportunities. The program’s success was assessed through mandatory pre- and post-student learning outcomes surveys and a voluntary feedback survey. Results from the learning outcomes surveys showed a substantial increase in students’ understanding of targeted learning areas, with those able to explain key concepts rising from 24% to 78%, while those unable to explain decreased from 26% to 1%. The voluntary feedback survey indicated that all 17 respondents (out of 25 participating high school students) were satisfied with the camp, as evidenced by their satisfaction levels, ratings of activities, and the likelihood of recommending this camp to peers. This paper aims to guide engineering educators in developing a skilled and diverse workforce for transportation.