The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) remind students in grades nine to 12 to participate in the third PennDOT Innovations Challenge. The Innovations Challenge encourages students to use their problem-solving, creative, and strategic-thinking abilities to solve real-world transportation challenges in a competition among their peers.
This year's Innovations Challenge asks students to look at cost-effective technologies and innovative solutions - aside from laws, programs, and educational campaigns - that can be developed in the next five to 10 years to help PennDOT more efficiently, effectively, and safely control litter along roadways. Through the PennDOT Innovations Challenge, students can develop a long-term, sustainable solution to address this ongoing challenge and make Pennsylvania a cleaner and more beautiful place to live.
Last year, PennDOT spent nearly $13 million cleaning up roadside litter across Pennsylvania. In addition, nearly 5,000 volunteers spend countless hours participating in the Adopt-A-Highway program each year. These dollars and volunteer hours could have otherwise been spent on delivering a better transportation network and making Pennsylvania a better state in which to live. In addition to a public health hazard and eyesore, the litter along Pennsylvania's roads is an environmental problem, degrading soil, water, and wildlife.
Regional Innovations Challenge winners will be selected and invited to compete in Harrisburg for the state championship. This year, the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) and the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful (KPB) organization are providing a combined total award of $3,000 to be divided among the first-, second-, and third-place statewide winning teams.
For complete Innovations Challenge details, readers may visit http://www.penndot.gov/innovation. The deadline for submissions is Friday, Dec. 20.
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