Dear Colleagues:

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) are committed to developing a new generation of transportation professionals to realize our vision of improving transportation for a strong America. We welcome this opportunity to present the 2004-2008 National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI) Strategic Plan to chart the future of the NSTI—the first transportation career education program for secondary school youth authorized by Congress in the Transportation Equity Act for the 21^st Century.

The NSTI is an educational initiative designed to provide awareness to middle and high school students on transportation careers and encourage them to consider transportation-related courses of study in their higher education pursuits. In 4-week sessions, on 44 college and university campuses, nearly 5,000 students have explored the transportation industry through a variety of intermodal transportation experiences and field trips and have participated in math, science, and technology enrichment activities.

We encourage our partners to continue the momentum and invite others to join us as we strive to achieve the NSTI mission: To contribute to the development of a diverse, well-qualified workforce for the transportation industry by encouraging secondary school students to pursue transportation careers. In the next five years, through our collective efforts, we can realize an increase in the level of transportation career awareness among students participating in the Summer Transportation Institutes (STI); an increase in the number of post-STI programs, activities and career developmental opportunities; a greater number and more diverse pool of applicants seeking transportation careers and entering the transportation industry; and an expansion of national and local partnerships with stakeholders and interest groups to enhance the effectiveness of the NSTI—all of which can help us reach the objectives of our Agency's "Vital Few": Safety, Environmental Stewardship and Streamlining, and Congestion Mitigation.

"The Power of Partnership" has guided the success of the NSTI and will continue to help us to accomplish both the FHWA and the NSTI strategic goals.

Mary E. Peters
Federal Highway Administrator