The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is accepting applications for up to 45 Montgomery County high school students to serve as “Vision Zero Youth Ambassadors” to learn leadership skills in addressing community traffic safety needs.
The county established the project-based education program, which received 100 applications in 2021, to teach the next generation of potential transportation officials about leadership skills, outreach and engagement techniques, according to a county press release.
The program is based off of the county’s Vision Zero Initiative, which aims to eliminate traffic incidents resulting in injuries and deaths. The deadline for students to apply is Wednesday, Nov. 30.
“Students can help drive positive change and make a big impact by participating,” County Executive Marc Elrich said in the press release. “We want creative solutions from our youth to help achieve the goals of our Vision Zero plan, to save lives through traffic safety infrastructure and programming. Teens can play a powerful role in making Vision Zero a reality.”
The selected applicants can earn 40 Student Service Learning hours for participating in the program.
The Youth Ambassadors will be required to complete a group project that involves engineering or education topics, according to the press release. The program will conclude in May of 2023 with a graduation ceremony where participants will present their projects.
“This program offers real world engineering and advocacy experience that has impactful, tangible outcomes,” County Department of Transportation Director Chris Conklin said in the press release.
Student applicants will be notified if they have been selected for the program by Dec. 14.
The accepted ambassadors are required to attend a virtual orientation, held on Zoom, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 7. After the orientation session, ambassadors will participate in four sessions, both virtual through Zoom and in-person, according to the press release.
These sessions will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays on the following dates:
- Session 1 – Saturday, Feb. 11 (in person)
- Session 2 – Saturday, March 4 (in person)
- Session 3 – Saturday, March 25 (virtual)
- Session 4 – Saturday, April 29 (virtual)
In-person events will be held at the Montgomery County Public Safety Building, which is located at 100 Edison Park Drive in Gaithersburg.
“We are empowering teens to assess needed improvements to the built environment, inform their peers about safe behavior and develop programs that address specific safety needs in communities throughout the County,” said Conklin.
Students do not have to be enrolled in a Montgomery County public school to be considered, and may come from private institutions or homeschools.
Students can learn more about the program and apply here.
