K-12 Outreach
MarTREC partners with schools, teachers and universities across the region to introduce students from kindergarten through high school to the engineering and careers behind our rivers, ports and transportation systems.
University of Arkansas Programs
KidTREC Summer Day Camp
Grades: Rising 6th & 7th
Established in 2017, KidTREC gives students a week with engineering faculty and student ambassadors. Campers test different soil types, learn about bridge design, program autonomous Lego vehicles and demonstrate lock and dam models.
K-8 Maritime Education Modules to Engage Students (K8 MEMES)
Grades: K–8
Led by Gary Prinz, associate professor of civil engineering and director of the Grady E. Harvell Civil Engineering Research and Education Center. His STEMusic program uses music to teach scientific and engineering principles to grade-school children.
Bridging Art and Science
Grades: 4th · Partner: Root Elementary
Gary Prinz and Root Elementary teacher Adriane Hapgood wrote songs that explain transportation engineering concepts. Fifty fourth-graders performed two pieces set to popular melodies.
Partner University Programs
STEM Academy Summer Program
Grades: 9–12 · Host: Jackson State University
Introduces high school students to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, including robotics and autonomous vehicle design. Managed by JSU's College of Science, Engineering and Technology.
Who Works the Rivers
Grades: High school · Host: University of New Orleans
The UNO Transportation Institute partners each year with Riverworks Discovery on this one-day career awareness event, using curriculum from the NEED Project.
Mississippi Summer Transportation Institute (MSTI)
Grades: 10–12 · Host: Jackson State University
A two-week summer program that introduces high school students to transportation careers through STEM and leadership activities. Hosted by JSU's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.