Make A Contribution to the Foundation for Giving Tuesday!
Letter from Leadership
Dear WTS Community,
I hope you all enjoyed a happy, safe, and healthy holiday weekend. This has been a unique and challenging year in many ways. I continue to be impressed by the resiliency of our industry and WTS community as we respond to this pandemic and challenge what the transportation industry will look like as we head into 2021 and beyond.
As we speak of challenges, our next generation of leaders are facing unprecedented times. Students are facing extraordinary challenges in adjusting to full-time remote learning and affording educational costs during a pandemic. We are seeing an increase in absenteeism rates as students without virtual access are unable to attend classes. In addition, some college students are postponing coursework due to family financial hardships. We are at a critical moment, a moment when we must ensure that our future workforce is supported today. We must ensure that young women know that a career in transportation is available to them, and we need to support them through their educational journey. That is why the WTS Foundation, and our WTS chapters, have awarded over 1.2 million dollars in scholarships in the last two years alone. We support students from high school through graduate school, those pursuing trade and junior college programs and those pursuing their PhD. We need to ensure that we have a strong and diverse pool of candidates entering the workforce.
Through the Foundation’s educational programs, we introduce young women to STEM related activities and careers, encouraging them to pursue transportation related education. Our scholarship program allows us to support our next generation in another way, providing financial support that is so often needed to ensure that young women and women of color are able to complete their education. I encourage you all to engage with your local WTS chapters to be a mentor, get engaged with your local Transportation YOU program, and donate today to help us support more women in their careers. Your donation of $5, $25 or $50 truly makes a difference and directly supports the education of young women across North America.
Thank you for your support!
Sincerely,
Jannet Walker-Ford Chair
WTS Foundation
Through the generosity of thousands of WTS supporters, the WTS Foundation has provided millions of dollars in scholarships to deserving women and students throughout the transportation industry.
Call for Posters submissions 2021 WTS Annual Conference
WTS International invites you to submit a poster abstract for the 2021 Annual Conference. A poster gallery highlighting projects, facilities, research and experiences that align with the Conference theme will be available for attendees to view throughout the course of the conference. The event will bring together transportation professionals to explore "Our Future In Transportation". Submit a poster abstract by Friday, January 22, 2020.
Submit your poster abstract here.
The deadline has been extended to submit an abstract for the 2021 WTS Annual Conference. Share your knowledge and expertise! Submit an abstract by Friday, December 11, 2020.
Submit your abstract here.
Record attendance at first virtual Chapter Leader Training
On November 19 and 20, WTS International hosted the first ever virtual Chapter Leader Training with more than double the attendees as last year's training. Thank you to the Chapter Leaders who made the event a success. Don't forget to continue your networking conversations in MyWTS Communities!
SMART Transportaiton Act U.S. House of Representatives
SMART Transportation Act referred to House of Representatives Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
