By Scout Nelson
South Dakota high school students experienced a unique opportunity this summer through the National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI), held at South Dakota State University’s Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering. This hands-on, residential camp offered students deep insight into the world of transportation and engineering.
Led by SDSU associate professor and camp director Rouzbeh Ghabchi, the camp introduced students to several engineering topics, including transportation planning, materials, and different transportation modes.
"This year’s National Summer Transportation Institute, a two-week-long residential summer camp at SDSU, hosted students interested in engineering and transportation," said Rouzbeh Ghabchi, SDSU associate professor and camp director. "The NSTI workshops offered a unique opportunity for students to gain firsthand experience in solving the problems that transportation engineers face in real life."
The camp ran for two weeks and was fully residential, giving students a chance to live and learn on a college campus. Funded by scholarships from the South Dakota Department of Transportation, the camp focused on helping students explore STEM fields and transportation careers.
A highlight of the camp was a bridge design day, where students learned about various types of bridges and then built their own models. These models were tested for strength and load capacity in a fun and educational bridge-building competition.
Campers also visited an engineering design firm where they explored traffic engineering, construction techniques, and programmable LED arrays similar to those seen on real highways. These arrays display speed limits, travel times, and alerts.
Other interactive activities included robotics, aviation, and creating concrete and asphalt mixes. These exercises aimed to teach technical skills while encouraging teamwork and creativity.
"The mission of institute is to raise awareness among middle and high school students about careers in transportation and to inspire them to pursue transportation-related courses of study in their higher education pursuits," said Ghabchi.
The main goal of NSTI is to inspire middle and high school students to consider transportation-related studies in the future. Through hands-on learning and exposure to real-world challenges, the camp successfully broadened students’ understanding of engineering and transportation careers.
Photo Credit: south-dakota-state-university
Categories: South Dakota, Education