The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) invites high school students from across the state to participate in the eighth annual PennDOT Innovations 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. The Innovations Challenge is open to all students in grades nine through 12, regardless of their school's learning model.

For this year's challenge, students are asked to develop a cost-effective, innovative solution that may help PennDOT more effectively increase awareness of seat belt safety and change behavior to improve roadway safety. PennDOT is committed to continuously improving roadway safety, and the agency works to do so using a multifaceted strategy, which involves promoting behavioral programs and implementing infrastructure improvements.

Regional Innovations Challenge winners will be selected and invited to present their solutions to the PennDOT secretary and a panel of judges, which will determine the statewide winner. For this year's challenge, four organizations are providing a combined total award of $6,000 to the statewide winning team. These organizations are the Transportation Policy and Education Foundation, an educational arm of the Associated Pennsylvania Constructors (APC); the American Council of Engineering Companies of PA (ACEC/PA); the Mid-Atlantic Section of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (MASITE); and the Intelligent Transportation Society of Pennsylvania (ITSPA).

For complete details, visit www.penndot.pa.gov/innovation and click on the Innovations Challenge tile on the right side of the page. The submission deadline is Friday, Jan. 31, 2025.