A group of 32 high school students from Santa Clara County got a special behind-the-scenes tour of VTA’s largest bus yard and cutting-edge electric bus charging system. The students participated in the Mineta Summer Transportation Institute, designed to educate and encourage their interest in careers in the transportation industry. A graduation ceremony was held at VTA Headquarters after their tour.

VTA’s General Manager Carolyn Gonot welcomed the students at VTA’s headquarters in the morning. Then, the

students rode a sleek, new electric bus and headed to VTA’s Cerone Bus Division. They had a tour of bus operations, Overhaul and Repair, and learned about VTA’s cutting-edge Electric Bus Charging Microgrid project, hailed as one of the nation’s models of best practices for “deploying charging infrastructure for electric transit buses.”

After the tour, they headed back to VTA’s headquarters for lunch and a graduation ceremony.

During the three-week San Jose State University program, the students learned about sustainability in public transportation, participated in hands-on STEM activities, learned about environmental science and how transit impacts climate change, and even how to fly drones to practice aerial mapping. 

The program is free, and students can earn three college credits.

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority and the Mineta Transportation Institute have hosted this event for over ten years.

Congratulations to the graduates!