BROOKINGS – High school students can figure out whether building bridges, roads and other transportation infrastructures might be an interesting career through a free summer camp at South Dakota State University July 30 through Aug. 5.

The National Summer Transportation Institute has openings for 15 South Dakota high school students who are interested in an engineering, science or technology-related career. This is the first time the camp has been offered in South Dakota.

“There is no cost to participating students, thanks to a grant from the South Dakota Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration,” said assistant professor Rouzbeh Ghabchi of the SDSU Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. “All parents/guardians have to do is transport their high schoolers to campus on Sunday and pick them up on Saturday.”

The application form is available at https://www.sdstate.edu/civil-environmental-engineering/national-summer-transportation-institute. The deadline for submitting applications has been extended to Friday, June 16, and a recommendation letter will not be required.

Applicants need only describe briefly why they would like to attend the camp and have a 2.0 GPA, according to Ghabchi.

During the week, campers will work with construction materials such as asphalt, build model bridges and assemble robots and electronic circuits related to the transportation field. “These hands-on learning projects emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of engineering,” he explained. “Students will make their own asphalt mix, compact samples and then test them to determine their properties.”

Completed applications can be mailed to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Box 2219, Crothers Engineering Hall 134, Attn: Rouzbeh Ghabchi, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, or e-mailed to Rouzbeh.Ghabchi@sdstate.edu. Applicants will be notified by mail and e-mail when their applications have been accepted.