Students from Utica, Rome, Holland Patent, Westmoreland, Sauquoit and other school districts from across the region are taking a look at what their future careers could look like at a National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI) at SUNYIT through July 18.

"This is a great program and a perfect complement for our summerITeens academic day camps," said Elizabeth Rossi, K-12 outreach coordinator. "NSTI and our other summer offerings give students opportunities to develop their interests while they learn more about career possibilities."

During the two-week NSTI, 19 students with an interest in transportation careers who will be in 9th through 12th grades this fall are interacting with transportation engineers and SUNYIT engineering faculty, and taking part in hands-on workshops in computer-aided design, rocketry, and alternative fuel vehicles. The program also includes field trips to the U.S. Air Force Eastern Air Defense Sector unit at Griffiss Business and Technology Park, locks on the Erie Canal, the Port of Albany, and Utica's Union Station.

The Federal Highway Administration sponsors NSTI programs around the country to introduce young people to transportation careers. More than 8,000 students have participated in NSTI since 1991.