2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

In summer 2024, the Engineering Technology department at Middle Tennessee State University hosted its inaugural non-residential National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI) program. For 2025, with continued support from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and our state’s Department of Transportation (DOT), we transitioned to a first-time residential model. The objective of this first-time residential NSTI program was to enhance rising high school students' familiarity with transportation-related careers, confidence in engineering and related STEM skills, and likelihood of pursuing transportation/STEM degrees and careers through an immersive four-week on-campus experience. Building on our 2024 non-residential program, the 2025 residential model incorporated extended team-building, recreational activities, dormitory living, and expanded curriculum elements to foster deeper engagement, peer bonding, and exposure to collegiate life.

The four-week program ran weekdays only (Monday through Friday), with participants residing on campus to immerse them in college life while returning home on weekends. No cost was charged to participants, as the grant covered dormitory housing, meals, activities, and transportation. The program served rising high school students (ages 13–17, grades 9th–12th rising). From approximately 60 applicants, 17 were selected based on application reviews emphasizing academic interest, essays, and recommendations; the final cohort of 15 (13 male, 2 female) reflected diverse backgrounds, with two pre-program withdrawals due to a sports injury and discomfort with dormitory living.

A typical day included morning hands-on STEM instruction (e.g., Arduino robotics, computer vision/drones, SUMO traffic simulation), afternoon field trips or projects, and evening team-building/recreation. Week 1 focused on orientation, with an opening ceremony introducing rules, expectations, and safety, as well as icebreakers to foster friendships. Weeks 2–4 emphasized curriculum enhancements (e.g., advanced robotics challenges, drones and computer vision, sophisticated SUMO simulations) and expanded field trips (e.g., airport operations, Amazon logistics). The program concluded with a closing ceremony featuring team presentations on learned concepts.

Staff comprised six members: a Program Director, Program Assistant (academic coordinator), one Computer Science faculty member, one Engineering Technology faculty member, and two undergraduate engineering majors serving as chaperones/mentors.

Pre- and post-surveys (identical to 2024) showed significant gains in transportation familiarity and skills via unpaired t-tests (p < 0.05), indicating greater success than the non-residential version. This paper details planning, recruitment, dorm assignment, curriculum, activities, field trips, presentations, survey results, and lessons learned, benefiting institutions hosting similar residential pre-college programs.