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Transportation Academy

2023 applications are closed. We hope to see you next year!

The Transportation Academy is an annual two-week-long immersive program, where students explore different facets of the transportation industry. The program is open to undergraduates and graduate college students, and is hosted by the Women's Transportation Seminar, Orange County Chapter in partnership with a variety of private and public firm and agency representatives.

Throughout the program, students will hear from top executives within the transportation/urban planning fields and even experience transportation design first-hand. In previous years, host firms have led students through a series of seminars and on-site tours, including live construction projects, a tour of the Los Angeles Harbor, an active rail yard, tolling facilities and more.

Because the transportation industry has a wide range of career options, the 2019 Transportation Academy included a new pilot program that allowed students to select one seminar concentration out of three options: engineering/design, urban planning/environmental planning and government affairs/outreach. Students attended specialized programs with industry leaders in their area of concentration, giving insight into careers in the transportation industry that most closely align with their major and/or career goals.

In 2020, WTS-OC once again broke the mold by going virtual! For the first time, students from across the globe were able to participate in Transportation Academy thanks to the Committee's quick thinking and ability to shift a traditionally in-person event to an entirely virtual platform. Our attendance was higher than ever, and students were able to spend time networking in small groups with representatives from both the public and private sector. 2021 once again found us hosting this extremely popular seminar virtually, to protect the health and safety of our student participants. We once again experienced record attendance (the benefits of an entirely virtual format!), since students could participate from anywhere in the country.

In 2022, WTS-OC hosted Transportation Academy in a hybrid format – allowing both students and presenters to choose to participate either in-person or virtually. Through constant changes, WTS-OC remains committed to the furthering of our students’ education, by finding creative new ways to expose them to industry professionals, and connecting them to potential career opportunities.

Location

The programs will be hosted by the participating firms and public agencies primarily in Orange County (Irvine, Orange, Santa Ana); however, select days may be hosted in Los Angeles. Students will be required to provide their own transportation to and from in-person programs and will be responsible for any parking costs (when necessary). Depending on the time of the in-person program, breakfast or lunch will be provided.

Dates

The 2023 Transportation Academy will be held July 31-August 4 and August 7-11. There will generally be a morning session from 8 am to 12 pm and an afternoon session from 1 pm to 5 pm. A detailed schedule will be released upon acceptance into the program.

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Questions?

Please contact Meredith Church at [email protected] or at 949-681-4208.