North Dakota’s Department of Transportation is rolling out a new STEM education program to promote interest in transportation careers, especially engineering.
“STEM” stands for science, technology, engineering and math.
"Within the transportation industry, we are experiencing some workforce issues," said NDDOT's Deputy Director of Planning, Chad Orn. "So, we're trying to get STEM into the schools, and encourage people to become engineers, work in the transportation field, to try to fill those voids and needs in our workforce."
Orn said DOT will provide kits, or modules, to the teachers.
"There won't be any cost to them," Orn said. "The kits are going to be exciting and fun for the kids, and it can help them get hands-on and real-world experience, that could lead them to engineering."
One of the modules would be a “bridge building kit.”
"They get to learn about bridges and the different types of bridges, and they get to try and build a bridge out of wood parts, glue and some basic things," Orn said. "From that, they can see what they have learned, and they get to present on it."
Orn said there are also regional and national bridge-building competitions, and students could enter those contests.
