Wednesday, March 4, 2026

They’re back -- FREE overnight high school transportation summer camps

By Lisa Walzl

Are you a high school student passionate about a career in transportation? Or just curious about the rapidly evolving industry? Ever want to take a behind the scenes tour of a bridge or other parts of our state transportation system? Do you know a teenager who would?

If so, we have an adventure-filled summer camp experience for you. Back by popular demand, we're offering high school students a chance to spend a week exploring the transportation field. Students will do hands-on projects and get university-led instruction. They'll get to experience real-world applications in planning, engineering and technology. You'll find this all at our Washington Transportation Camp 2026 hosted by PacTrans and WSDOT.

Approximately 20 high school students and a guide touring the WSDOT Transportation Management Center in Shoreline. The TMC is a large room with several desks and staff. The back wall is covered with several monitors showing live feeds from traffic cameras.
Students touring the WSDOT Transportation Management Center in Shoreline.

We're offering two free immersive camp experiences this summer. Both camps include lodging at a state university. One is a six-day camp at Washington State University in Pullman from June 21-26. The second is a six-day camp at the University of Washington in Seattle from Aug. 2-7. Students will stay on campus in university dormitories during the camp. Sponsors cover all lodging and meals. There are no costs for students.

We are currently accepting applications. The deadline to apply for both camps is Friday, April 10. To be considered, applicants must be entering 10th, 11th or 12th grade at a Washington state school for the fall 2026 semester. They also need to be able to attend the entire session. You don't need previous experience in engineering or transportation – but curiosity is a must!

To learn more about these programs and to apply, visit the camp website.

Approximately 30 high school students, a guide and two WSDOT incident responders posing in a parking lot in front of an Incident Response Team truck.
Students meeting with the WSDOT Incident Response Team.

Both camps offer students the chance to:

  • Take field trips. Professionals will take students to transportation facilities like the Northwest Region Transportation Management Center. You'll gain insight into their inner workings.
  • Showcase their knowledge in collaborative group projects.
  • Make new friends and experience life on a college campus.
  • Explore the potential for a future career in transportation – whether it's in engineering, planning or beyond.
Two high school students sitting in a classroom building transportation models out of wood sticks.
Students creating transportation models at the Washington State University camp.

This could be the start of a career in transportation, engineering, planning or a whole host of other fields. But even if it's not, participants will learn more about the transportation systems they use every day. And they’ll have some pretty good stories to share with friends and family about the unique experience they had over the summer.

We hope to see you there!


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