APPLICATIONS HAVE CLOSED

Registration is open to female and female-identified students in Oregon who will be current high school students in the Fall of 2018.

For the third year in a row, we're hosting an Oregon Summer Transportation Institute (OSTI) for high school girls. This two-week residence camp offers any student entering the 9–12 grade who identifies as female an immersive introduction to the workings of the Portland transportation system.

Half of each day is spent in the classroom hearing from PSU faculty and guest lecturers from ODOT, the FHWA, the Portland Bureau of Transportation, TriMet, the Port of Portland, and various other public and private transportation agencies that operate in the Portland metro area.

The other half is spent outside, in field tours of Portland’s transportation infrastructure and public spaces. Planners, engineers and designers come from all over the country to see Portland’s unique transportation system in action, and researchers use it as a testing ground for the most innovative solutions in safety, sustainability and livable efficiency.

Students are asked to choose a real-world transportation problem to investigate and use the skills they have gained to present a solution at the end of the course. Hands-on activities introduce students to GIS and transportation modeling software, and show how to use advanced technologies to achieve community goals. 

Learn more about our K-12 Outreach and Education offerings and, see photos from our K-12 events last year.

The the 2018 Oregon Summer Transportation Institute is supported by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT).

Frequently Asked Questions

Additional questions? Contact us at asktrec@pdx.edu

• Are accommodations provided for the students?
  Yes, this is a residential camp. Once the girls arrive at Portland State University (PSU) they will be assigned a dorm room on campus that they will share with one other student from the transportation camp. Each room has two single beds and one shower that you will share with your roommate.
• How many students will be attending this camp?
  Approximately 20 - 24 high school girls will be attending.
• What supervision will there be?
  There will be four counselors that stay in the dorms with you through the duration of the camp. In addition to the instructors throughout the day, TREC's Workforce Development Program Manager Lisa Patterson will be with the students every day from 9 AM - 5 PM.
• What food will be provided for the students?
  All meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) will be provided free of cost.
• When do the days start and end?
  Breakfast is provided in the dorms prior to the day starting. We start the day at 9 AM and end between 4-5 PM. In the evenings we have some recreational activities planned (rec center, movie nights, etc.).
• For the field tours, will transportation be provided?
  All transportation is provided, and we will mainly be taking public transit and walking as a group.
• Will we be biking at any point? Are bikes provided?
  We will take the students on one bike ride along the Willamette Waterfront and all bike rentals will be provided free of cost.
• Can you provide a certificate of completion for this camp?
  Yes! We're happy to provide a certificate.