The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation recently announced the deadline for the fifth annual Innovations Challenge is extended through Jan. 21, 2022.

Students in ninth through 12th grades, regardless of their school’s learning model, are invited to participate in this year’s challenge, which encourages students to use their problem-solving, creative and strategic-thinking abilities to solve real-world transportation challenges in a competition among their peers.

Taking Pennsylvania’s diverse demographics into consideration, this year’s Innovations Challenge asks students to develop a comprehensive and cost-effective public engagement strategy, beyond the current public engagement procedures (outlined in Publication 295), that uses innovative technologies and tools that PennDOT can implement to?more effectively engage and connect with all age groups during the transportation planning and project development process.

Regional challenge winners will be selected and invited to compete for the state championship, which will be held in the spring of 2022.

For this year’s challenge, the Associated Pennsylvania Constructors has donated $2,500 and the American Council of Engineering Companies of Pennsylvania has donated $1,500 for a combined total award of $4,000 for this year’s first-place team.

The Innovations Challenge aims to not only help students explore real transportation challenges that PennDOT is facing, but also open their minds to the very real possibility of working for PennDOT or in the transportation industry after graduation.

For complete details, visit penndot.gov.