NSTI participants on a bridge tour. Photo by Tracey Jackson.

How do young people learn about careers they’re not familiar with or careers that are so new hardly anyone knows about them? The best way is by getting hands-on experience with field experts during one of MnDOT’s summer camps. In summer of 2022, MnDOT offered four youth camps for students in grades 7–12: the Karen Organization of Minnesota Construction Career Pathway Program, National Summer Transportation Institute, Red Lake National Summer Transportation Institute, and Connected and Automated Vehicles Career Pathways.

In the Karen Organization Construction Career Pathway Camp, 15 students, refugees and immigrants from Burma, learned about highway heavy trades. Students met with Lunda Construction to learn about the construction industry. Local 49ers brought a truck simulator. Other hands-on transportation-related activities included construction site tours and learning how to use tools.

In NSTI Camp, 28 students learned about several types of bridges and the advantages of each. Ames Construction led a tour of a bridge construction site. Then the students worked in teams to build model bridges. After learning about how asphalt plants work and road design, everyone made “asphalt road cookies” to get a hands-on sense of the process – and a tasty treat. These activities, and more, were facilitated by MnROAD Operations engineers and Bridge engineers.

Eight young women learned about career paths at Red Lake NSTI Camp. Students built robots and performed science experiments on water samples. They visited colleges and universities across the state and learned about transportation-related courses. Red Lake NSTI Camp included cultural activities like creating ribbon skirts to learn more about Anishinaabe culture.

In CAV Camp, 18 students from Rochester and the Twin Cities learned about emerging careers. They went on field trips to experience electric cars at Tesla and Zeus Electric Chassis, and they rode in White Bear Lake’s automated shuttle. Throughout the week, students built a model robot car. CAV Camp also featured a field trip to the Mall of America’s STEM fair, which featured several CAV presentations and activities.

Why does MnDOT offer youth camps like these? MnDOT benefits by reaching out to young people and helping to develop their interests. These are the people with potential to work for MnDOT in the future. MnDOT is especially interested in connecting with BIPOC and women students to create an equitable workforce.

For these 69 students, Construction Career Pathway, NSTI and CAV Camps offered a refreshing change from isolated, pandemic-style learning. The many field trips kept them on the move and engaged with new experiences. Individual and team projects helped students integrate what they saw and heard. One NSTI camper said, “Building the bridge showed how important teamwork is, and it was fun!” “I also enjoyed making friends and talking to everyone,” a CAV student said. “And the ethical conversations really sparked my interest.”

Originally published Sept. 13, 2022 and updated Sept. 28, 2022