FUTURE LEADERS PROGRAM
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:
EMPOWERING THE NEXT GENERATION OF
ITS INNOVATORS
EMPOWERING THE NEXT GENERATION OF ITS INNOVATORS
Welcome to the Future Leaders Program at ITS America Conference & Expo. Whether you are a young professional or a student, this program is designed to inspire, educate, and connect the future leaders of the intelligent transportation systems industry.
Choose your path below to explore the opportunities waiting for you.
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS, GRADUATE, & UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
The Future Leaders Program offers graduate and undergraduate students a unique platform to dive into the world of ITS. Here’s what you can look forward to.
Education & Training: Learn from industry experts through focused sessions and hands-on workshops.
Networking: Connect with exhibitors, sponsors, and professionals for mentorship and career insights.
Essay Competition: Submit a solution to a program-themed challenge for a chance to present at the Future Leaders Program on June 11.
Student Registration: Attend for $50 with full access to sessions, networking, refreshments, and lunch.
ITS AMERICA CONFERENCE & EXPO ESSAY COMPETITION
Respond to the challenge question below for a chance to present your solution during the Future Leaders Program on June 11. Submissions are due by April 1. Competition is open to graduate and undergraduate students only.
CHALLENGE QUESTION
The theme of the 2026 ITS America Conference & Expo, Empowering Innovation, reflects a defining moment for transportation in America.
Across the country, communities are harnessing emerging technologies to enhance safety, expand connectivity, and reimagine how people and goods move. Driven by collaboration across public and private sectors, we are on the verge of unlocking a new era of mobility.
Our transportation systems are at an inflection point. We, as a nation, have the opportunity to create a better future if we invest in essential innovative solutions today. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a key technology ready to transform the movement of people and goods across the globe, from saving lives and improving emergency response time to optimizing infrastructure maintenance and system planning.
How is AI poised to transform transportation most impactfully with the goal of safer and smarter systems across the U.S.?
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
Are you a high school student interested in engineering or intelligent transportation? The Future Leaders Program offers an exciting opportunity to experience the ITS America Conference & Expo firsthand. Here’s what you can look forward to.
Education & Training: Learn from industry experts through focused sessions and hands-on workshops.
Networking: Connect with exhibitors, sponsors, and professionals for mentorship and career insights.
Essay Competition: Submit a solution to a program-themed challenge for a chance to present at the Future Leaders Program on June 11.
Student Registration: Attend for $50 with full access to sessions, networking, refreshments, and lunch.
SQUARE ONE EDUCATION NETWORK
A Michigan-based nonprofit that provides hands-on STEM experiences for K–12 students and educators. Their Innovative Vehicle Design projects with competitions offer real-world, mobility career-focused learning opportunities. A selected group of students will attend ITS America Conference & Expo to showcase their work.
PAVE ESSAY COMPETITION
The PAVE Essay Contest and Scholarship Program is an initiative that encourages young adults to contemplate a future with automated vehicles by writing about what this technology could mean for their communities, the economy, and the transportation system as a whole. The contest, which is held in a different state each year, is open to Michigan high school students for the 2025-2026 school year. After the conclusion of the submission period, a committee of industry experts selects the top essays. Winners receive scholarship funds provided by contest sponsors, and the participating students are invited to attend an awards ceremony and autonomous vehicle demonstration at ITS America Conference & Expo 2026.
CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING
Build Your Future in ITS
No matter your level, ITS America Conference & Expo offers career development programming to help you grow. Join campfire-style sessions in the Transportation Hub to learn about ITS career pathways, emerging roles in the sector, LinkedIn profile development, and other career-building insights.
Bringing together the intelligent transportation community.