Maine Summer Transportation Institute Underway July 13-24
Contact: Sheila Pendse, 944-9263; George Manlove, 581-3756
ORONO — Up to 20 middle school students from the greater Bangor area are getting a close look at careers in engineering and transportation over the next two weeks as participants in the annual Maine Summer Transportation Institute at the University of Maine.
Cosponsored by the Maine Department of Transportation, the UMaine College of Engineering and the Federal Highway Administration, the program is designed to introduce area students at an early age to the jobs and careers available in Maine’s transportation industry.
Students are participating in field trips, leadership and team-building activities, and a series of age-appropriate workshops and hands-on laboratory experiences, all related to transportation mode, safety and products, alternative fuels, construction materials, and computer-aided design. Students also will participate in recreational activities at the new Student Recreation and Fitness Center.
The majority of the day-long activities, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., will be offered at the Bion and Dorain Foster Student Innovation Center, at other campus facilities and at various off campus locations.
Highlights of the institute include:
Monday, July 13: an introduction to computer-aided design (CAD) on campus, 1 p.m.
Tuesday, July 14: morning tour of the Cole Transportation Museum, Bangor, and an afternoon tour of the Penobscot Narrows Bridge
Wednesday, July 15: traffic safety workshop, Foster Innovation Center, 9:15 a.m., an introduction to CAD, about 1:15 p.m., Boardman Hall annex
Thursday, July 16: morning tour of Owls Head Transportation Museum, Owls Head, and afternoon tour of the U.S. Coast Guard station, Rockland
Friday, July 17: a morning tour of the bio-fuels lab at UMaine, followed by a discussion about alternative fuel cars, 10:30 a.m., Jenness Hall, and a tour of the AEWC Advanced Structures and Composites Center, 1:15 p.m.
Monday, July 20: morning tour of the Maine Department of Transportation facilities, Augusta
Tuesday, July 21: a workshop on how cruise control works in motor vehicles, 9:15 a.m., Boardman Hall, UMaine, a concrete workshop, 10:30 a.m., Boardman Hall, and a narrow bridge design and competition, Boardman Hall annex, 1:15 p.m.
Wednesday, July 22: a morning tour of the Challenger Learning Center of Maine and an afternoon visit to the Sign Shop, Old Town, where students can design their own signs
Thursday, July 23: a morning tour of Bangor International Airport and afternoon tour of the flight control tower
Friday, July 24: art collage project and awards and presentations, Foster Innovation Center
For details, Sheila Pendse in the UMaine College of Engineering can be reached at 944-9263.