Under the guidance of Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's (PennDOT) Bureau of Maintenance and Operations' Justin Bruner and Matthew Kasunick, AASHTO's TRAC™ and RIDES was piloted in Pennsylvania.
TRAC™ (Transportation and Civil Engineering) & RIDES (Roadways In Developing Elementary Students ) are AASHTO's educational outreach programs, designed for use in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) classes.
The hands-on activities introduce students in grades K-12 to the work world of transportation and civil engineering and inspire them to consider careers in those fields. Both programs are aligned with national standards and are currently being aligned with Core Curriculum Standards of Learning.
An initial reach out to schools to gauge interest for a pilot of both TRAC™ and RIDES via email ultimately resulted in 35 teachers statewide taking the courses this past July at PennDOT's Transportation University.
Both programs received rave reviews.
"Most trainings give you the 'why' we should teach STEM, this training gives you the 'how' to teach STEM. It makes teaching STEM into a simple format that kids and teachers will love."
"This seminar was so practical. Coming away with all the materials was tremendous. I liked the connections made to math, science, technology, and transportation jobs. I can easily take this back to the afterschool program and utilize the activities immediately. The lessons are hands-on, fun and provide tons of learning opportunities. Thank you so much PennDOT!"
"The most helpful part of the class was trying the hands-on activities that students would engage with so that we can experience or identify some struggles the students might have."
As a result of the pilot's success, PennDOT will proudly offer TRAC™ and RIDES to teachers going forward.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Did you know PennDOT is directly responsible for nearly 40,000 miles of highway and roughly 25,000 bridges? We oversee programs and policies affecting highways, urban and rural public transportation, airports, railroads, ports and waterways, in addition to administering the state's more than 11 million vehicle registrations and 8.8 million driver's licenses.
So, how do we do what we do? And how can we help you travel in Pennsylvania — whether it be for business or leisure — in safe and enjoyable manner? Read PennDOT Way to learn more about the department, what we do, and how and why we do it.
TAGS
50-Year Anniversary, 511PA, Aggressive Driving, Airports, Autonomous Vehicles, Bicycles, Bridges, Child Safety, Community Relations, Construction, COVID-19, Distracted Driving, District 1, District 10, District 11, District 12, District 2, District 3, District 4, District 5, District 6, District 8, District 9, DOTcom, Driver and Vehicle Services, Emergency Responders, Employment, Equity, FAQ Friday, Human Trafficking, Impaired Driving, Innovations, Live Free Ride Alive, Maintenance Monday, Motorcycles, Older Drivers, PA Motorcycle Safety Program, Pedestrians, PennDOT Connects, Ports, Public Transit, Railroads, REAL ID, Road MaP, Roadside Beautification, Rural Roads, Safety, School Buses, Seat Belts, State Transportation Innovation Council (STIC), Sustainability, Teen Drivers, Throwback Thursday, Transportation Funding, Travel in PA, Welcome Centers, Winter, Work Smart, Work Zone, Yellow Dot
LATEST POSTS
PennDOT Continues Sharing, Updating Resources for Local Governments to Pursue Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding Opportunities
Norwin High School Wins 2024 ‘Innovations Challenge’
Demo Complete: I-95 CAP Project in Center City Philadelphia
PennDOT Archeologist Connects Past, Present, and Future
Lehigh Valley DUI, Highway Safety Task Force Hosts Law Enforcement Seminar
ARCHIVES
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017