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 21^st 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)​