About the National Summer Transportation Institute Program
In 1991, the Federal Highway
Administration's (FHWA) Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
and other Minority Institutions of Higher Education Task Force recommended that
partnerships be established to increase the participation of HBCUs, Tribal
Colleges and Universities, and Hispanic Serving Institutions in the Agency’s
programs. The partnerships were required to have, at a minimum, the active
participation of an FHWA Division Office, a State transportation agency (STA),
and a college or university.
In response to the recommendation,
the FHWA South Carolina Division Office, the South Carolina Department of
Transportation, and the South Carolina State University developed a transportation-focused
career awareness initiative known as the “Summer Transportation Institute”
(STI). This USDOT/FHWA educational initiative addressed a critical workforce
development objective for the transportation industry. The STI program was designed
to introduce secondary school students to all modes of transportation careers
and encourage them to pursue transportation-related courses of study at the
college and/or university level. After a 6-year pilot program, Congress, in the
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, authorized funding for
the first transportation career education program for secondary school youth
known as the “National Summer Transportation Institute” (NSTI).
The
National Summer Training Institute (NSTI) is focused on Science, Technology,
and Math (STEM) for high school and junior high school students. Its objectives are are to improve STEM skills, to create awareness
and stimulate interest in middle school and high school students – particularly
minority, female, and disadvantaged youth – about transportation careers and
encourage participants to consider transportation-related fields of study in
their higher education pursuits. The
goal is to provide a diverse, well-qualified workforce for the transportation
industry for the 21st century and beyond.
NSTIs
are administered by accredited colleges and universities throughout the United
States. These institutions make
applications to the State DOTs to serve as an NSTI “host site.” State Departments of Transportation (State
DOTs) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Division Civil Rights
Specialist provide program oversight and fiscal guidance to the host sites the
duration of the summer programs.
LINKS
STEM
JSU MSTI
MSU MSTI
ANNOUNCEMENTS
NSTI 2016 Program Desk Reference
NSTI CvrLtr 2016
Sample Proposal Application
2017 NSTI 2016 Call for Statements of Work (SOW)