APWA New Initiatives Program

Future City Competition – Future City Competition North Texas  

The Future City Competition North Texas program engages students across the North Texas region in hands-on STEAM learning focused on infrastructure, sustainability, and community design while introducing them to real-world public works challenges. Through support from APWA, the regional program will expand opportunities for students in grades 4–12, enhance special awards and recognition, and connect students with public works professionals serving as mentors, judges, and technical advisors. The initiative strengthens workforce development efforts in North Texas by building early awareness of public works careers and increasing collaboration among schools, educators, industry professionals, and local APWA chapters.

Reverse Trade Show – Georgia Chapter 

The Georgia Chapter APWA Reverse Trade Show and Vendor Engagement Event is an innovative networking initiative designed to strengthen collaboration between public works agencies and vendors through a unique agency-led trade show format. By placing public agencies at the center of structured conversations, the program will help vendors better understand local government needs while increasing awareness of emerging tools, services, and partnership opportunities within the public works industry. The initiative is intended to expand vendor involvement, strengthen professional relationships, and create a scalable model that can be replicated by other APWA chapters and branches.

Girls in Public Works Day – Georgia Chapter 

The Georgia Chapter APWA Girls in Public Works Day 2026 is a first-of-its-kind statewide event designed to introduce high school girls to the wide range of careers available in public works through hands-on activities, equipment demonstrations, presentations, and networking opportunities. Hosted in partnership with Georgia Department of Transportation LTAP, the one-day conference will connect students with female professionals, local governments, colleges, technical schools, and industry leaders to inspire future careers in infrastructure and public service. The initiative aims to strengthen workforce development, increase awareness of public works career pathways, and create a scalable model that can grow into future job-shadowing and mentorship opportunities across Georgia.

Youth Developed Social Media Framework (YL3C) – North Carolina Chapter 

The North Carolina Chapter APWA YL3C (Youth Led, Centered, Created, Communicated) initiative is an innovative, youth-driven program designed to transform how public works engages and recruits Generations Z and Alpha through authentic, peer-created social media messaging. Led by middle and high school students, the initiative will develop a scalable framework and social media competition that uses youth perspectives, digital storytelling, and real-time engagement data to increase awareness of public works careers and strengthen the future workforce pipeline. The program positions students as co-creators of recruitment strategies while providing APWA chapters with adaptable, low-cost tools to modernize outreach and connect more effectively with the next generation.

Growth, Outreach, Access, Leadership (GOAL) – Sacramento Chapter 

The APWA Sacramento Chapter GOAL (Growth, Outreach, Access, Leadership) Committee initiative is a workforce development and mentorship program focused on creating meaningful connections, expanding career awareness, and strengthening leadership opportunities within the public works profession. Through one-on-one mentorship programs, youth outreach, participation in engineering and trades events, and partnerships with schools and community organizations, the initiative aims to inspire the next generation of public works professionals while fostering a more welcoming and engaged industry. The program also creates scalable opportunities for professional growth, student engagement, and chapter collaboration that support long-term workforce recruitment and retention efforts across the Sacramento region.

Building the Future Public Works Workforce – San Diego Imperial County Chapter 

The San Diego Imperial County APWA Chapter Public Works in Action initiative is a hands-on workforce development program designed to introduce students in grades 4–12 to public works careers through immersive learning experiences at the Linda Vista Innovation Center. Using interactive modules focused on water systems, transportation, bridge engineering, and surveying, students explore how public works professionals design, build, operate, and maintain the infrastructure that supports everyday life while connecting career pathways to their individual interests and strengths through the RIASEC framework. The initiative creates a scalable and sustainable model for public works education that expands career awareness, supports long-term workforce development, and provides opportunities for APWA members to serve as mentors and industry role models.

Career Day—Georgia APWA Chapter

The Georgia Chapter will partner with local schools to educate students about public works careers and build a pipeline of future employees. By collaborating with career academies and construction training programs, APWA will pilot a hands-on virtual reality program that provides real-world construction experience, supports internship placements with local counties, and recruits the next generation of public works professionals. This type of event is not currently offered in the area.

Inside Infrastructure: A Public Works Podcast—San Diego and Imperial Counties Chapter

The San Diego and Imperial Counties Chapter will launch and sponsor a public works podcast to raise awareness of the critical role infrastructure plays in our communities, including the challenges of planning, designing, building, and maintaining essential assets. Tentatively titled Inside Infrastructure: Exploring the Ways Our World Is Built, the podcast will engage the community through compelling, human-centered storytelling that highlights the value of public works for today and future generations. As the podcast grows, the chapter will spotlight industry leaders, attract corporate sponsorships, build strategic partnerships, and connect with a broader audience unfamiliar with APWA—enhancing the Association’s visibility and reinforcing its position as an industry leader. Inside Infrastructure is now available here.

PWITX Alumni Certification Initiative

The Public Works Institute of Texas (PWITX) Strategic Plan outlines its mission to transform public works leaders through professional development, education, and networking opportunities that strengthen service to agencies and communities. One of PWITX’s key outcome goals is to expand its curriculum to provide broader exposure to functional areas and align more closely with APWA programs.

Building on this framework, PWITX seeks to develop leaders beyond the Institute’s current 90-hour national certification program by increasing awareness of, and participation in, the APWA Certification Program among its growing alumni network. The proposed initiative includes two components: (1) providing professional development scholarships and resources, and (2) developing a preparatory training program to support participants pursuing APWA certification. This initiative will be offered as part of PWITX’s continuing education and training for alumni.

Chapter Scholarship and Mentorship Program—Kentucky Chapter

Establish a scholarship program to recruit five new APWA members across three sectors—students or young professionals, municipal employees, and corporate vendors (five from each sector). The program will offer a one-year, first-time member rate paired with defined engagement expectations. Each scholarship recipient will be matched with a chapter mentor and receive monthly communication and mentorship, along with guided introductions to the chapter’s programs, services, and involvement opportunities.

YP Summit

Submitted by the Young Professionals Committee, this event will build upon the 2022 and 2023 virtual summits, providing a comprehensive annual event. The summit aims to empower the next generation of public works leaders, representing APWA's investment in the future of public works, and underlining a clear path to ensure sustained growth of the organization and the industry as a whole, in line with APWA's vision and strategic objectives. The event was held in conjunction with PWX in August 2024.

Small Cities/Rural Communities (SC/RC) Roundtable

Submitted by the Small Cities/Rural Communities Committee, this traveling roundtable creates a forum for public works professionals from small cities and rural communities to discuss shared challenges and key issues. Insights and outcomes from these discussions are shared with the broader APWA membership. The two-day educational program will be held annually in a rotating location, with the first one convened in November 2025.