The Hawaii Department of Transportation recently launched the Hawaii Storm Patrol Young Professionals Program to educate high school students about career pathways in the storm water mitigation field.
[Above image by Hawaii DOT]
Folded within the agency’s Oahu District Storm Water Management Program, this new endeavor is offered as a free downloadable program with lesson plans, activities, and other resources designed for both fast-paced after-school programs and traditional, credit-based courses.
Through this education initiative, high school students will learn about storm water management careers, the technical skills required for such careers, and how those careers encompass community-based, environmental problem-solving efforts, explained Ed Sniffen, Hawaii DOT’s director.
“Storm water management is essential to protecting Hawaii’s roads, neighborhoods and waterways,” he noted in a statement. “This program gives students an early look at careers that serve their communities. By bringing these lessons into the classroom, we are helping prepare the next generation of local engineers, scientists, architects and planners.”
Earlier in 2026, Hawaii DOT, with the help of local high school students, completed the pilot cohort of the Hawaii Storm Patrol Young Professionals Program, whereby participants explored storm water management through hands-on learning and observed how storm water professionals apply technical skills to real-world challenges.
Students also developed projects focused on storm water issues in their own communities, the agency said; highlighting how storm water management helps to reduce soil erosion, protect local waterways, and support community resilience.
Many state departments of transportation support similar education programs to showcase potential career opportunities in the transportation industry to students of all ages.
For example, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation recently set the schedule for free transportation-focused science, technology, engineering, and math or STEM workshops for teachers for the 2026-2027 school year.
Launched in August 2024, Oklahoma DOT said its STEM Outreach Program provides kindergarten through 12th grade teachers with training, resources, and hands-on activities designed for use in the classroom. During the workshops, teachers complete the STEM activities from a student’s perspective – giving them firsthand experience with each lesson and helping them confidently incorporate transportation-focused STEM concepts into their classrooms.
The agency said each workshop is hosted by Oklahoma DOT in partnership with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials at various locations across the state and provided at no cost to teachers or their schools.
Meanwhile, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation kicked off its 2026-2027 “Innovations Challenge” contest, inviting high school students in grades nine through 12 to use their problem-solving, creative, and strategic-thinking abilities to develop a bridge strike prevention solution.
Submissions from student teams are due by January 29, 2027, the agency said. By February 12, PennDOT regional offices will select up to five finalists from those submissions and invite them to present their innovative solutions to a panel of judges – which will include Mike Carroll, PennDOT’s secretary – either in person or virtually. A final statewide winner will then be determined by April 2027, the agency said.
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