STRIDE (Southeastern Transportation Research, Innovation, Development, and Education) Center

The STRIDE Center is the 2016 USDOT Region 4 (Southeast) University Transportation Center (UTC) housed at the University of Florida Transportation Institute (UFTI). STRIDE focuses on developing novel strategies for Reducing Congestion. The Center has nine partners, representing seven states in the Southeastern U.S.

K-12 Workforce Development

As urban and rural areas continue to experience increased traffic congestion, the need for a safe and efficient transportation system also grows. Meeting this demand requires a skilled workforce that is prepared to address existing and future transportation challenges. The transportation profession, however, has experienced a decline as professionals retire and a ready workforce is not in place to replace them. State transportation agency professionals are increasingly required to have additional skills in contract and project management, oversight, and business. Future advances in technology will also require ongoing training.

The STRIDE Center’s K-12 program seeks to engage young students in the transportation profession by harnessing their curiosity through engaging, hands-on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) activities. K-12 programs include school visits, Girls Engaged in Engineering events, demonstrations and activities at community events, summer camps focused on transportation and engineering, and teacher workshops. STRIDE partners implementing K-12 programs include the University of Florida, University of Alabama at Birmingham, The Citadel, Tennessee Technological University, North Carolina State University, Jackson State University, and Georgia Institute of Technology.

The STRIDE Center also provides a list of free K-12 online educational resources related to transportation and STEM for educators.