The South Jersey GAMTTEP program is a partnership between the Millville School District and the College of Engineering at Rowan University. Millville Public Schools is the Lead Education Agency for the Southern New Jersey GAMTTEP Collaborative.

GAMTTEP stands for the Garrett A. Morgan Technology and Transportation Education Program. The program is named after Garrett A. Morgan an African-American inventor famous for his traffic light signal innovation. GAMTTEP’s purpose is to “improve the preparation of students, particularly women and minorities, in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through curriculum development and other activities related to transportation.” Program objectives are:

• To build a bridge between America’s youth and the transportation
  community;
• To improve elementary and secondary (K-12) level students’ skills in
  STEM through such means as curriculum development, internships,
  mentoring programs, and other transportation-related activities;
• To facilitate partnerships among government, academia, and the
  private sector;
• To increase understanding of the transportation industry and careers,
  and advance transportation workforce development.

Rowan University is strategically located for this GAMTTEP endeavor and a perfect entity to support the GAMTTFP program for a number of reasons. Rowan University is a selective comprehensive state university with a reputation for excellence in undergraduate education. The statewide New Jersey Technology Council has named Rowan University winner of its 2006 Excellence in Technology Education Award. The Mt. Laurel-based organization recognized Rowan for its plans for the South Jersey Technology Park at Rowan University and for its achievements in technology education in its Colleges of Engineering, Liberal Arts & Sciences and Business. Rowan is located in southern New Jersey between Atlantic City and Philadelphia.

Rowan University will offer their services in the implementation of this endeavor. Southern New Jersey offers great economic and ethnic diversity. The university typically caters to a total of eight counties out of which two are earmarked as federal empowerment zones (EZ) with a campus in one of the EZ zones ( Camden). Five of the eight neighboring counties are within a 30-mile radius of Rowan University. Within this radius, there are 56 middle schools and 45 high schools.

The university is within an hour from the NJDOT, NJDEP and NJDOE offices located in Trenton, the State Capitol and the FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) in Atlantic City. The College of Engineering faculty already have a strong relationship with these agencies via collaborative research efforts that focus on transportation engineering and the development of teaching pedagogy in STEM areas. Furthermore, a large number of private companies involved in professional practice are in close proximity of the campus.