Since 2004, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has been offering the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) TRAC (Transportation and Civil Engineering) Program to schools in Michigan. TRAC is a hands-on education program designed for integration into science, math and social science classes.

The TRAC program engages high school and middle school students in solving real-world problems, such as designing bridges, building magnetic-levitation trains, or analyzing the environmental and economic effects of building a highway.

This program is free to schools. MDOT will provide training to teachers and engineer volunteers. These volunteers will speak about their careers in transportation and work with the students using the modules in the classrooms. Each teacher can decide which module will fit into their curriculum.

By bringing transportation professionals to the classroom, TRAC connects kids to the work world and inspires them to consider careers in transportation and civil engineering.