FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media contact: Christina Villarreal, Executive Director, LIT · information@latinosintransit.org · latinosintransit.org

LIT Launches Career Pathways in Transit: A Free, Standards-Aligned Kindergarten Through Graduate School Curriculum Unveiled for National Transit Career Day

New bilingual curriculum takes students from coloring sheets to leadership plans, aligned to science, ELA and math standards in all 50 states and DC, and is free and open to everyone

LAREDO, Texas, November 12, 2026. LIT today announced the launch of Career Pathways in Transit, a free, printable curriculum that shows students at every grade level how what they learn in school leads to a real career in public transit. Released in celebration of National Transit Career Day on November 12, 2026, the curriculum is available in English and Spanish and is free for anyone to download and use: teachers, schools, families, students, transit agencies and community organizations nationwide.

The launch marks a milestone in LIT's 2026-2028 Strategic Plan, which commits the organization to strengthening career pathways and expanding community education through K-12 engagement. Career Pathways in Transit is the first major release under that commitment.

Different degrees. One industry.

The curriculum is built around the real stories of five transit professionals LIT is featuring for National Transit Career Day. Each one shows students that there is no single path into transit:

• Roxana Beyranvand, Director, Rider Experience, Maryland Transit Administration (Baltimore, MD). Master's in Contemporary Communications; Bachelor's in Marketing Communications and Spanish.

• Kevin Alvarado, Assistant Director, Communications and Public Affairs, Metrolink (Los Angeles, CA). B.A. in Communication and Psychology.

• Lina Aragon, EEO Officer, Manager of Equal Employment Opportunity, Palm Tran (West Palm Beach, FL). Master of Business Administration and Management; Psychologist.

• Stephanie Daniels, Administrative Supervisor, Valley Metro (Phoenix, AZ). Bachelor's in Leadership and Management.

• Rafael Regan, Customer Experience Specialist, San Francisco Bay Ferry (San Francisco, CA). Bachelor's in Urban Studies and Community Development.

Their video stories, covering how they got into transit, their backgrounds and their advice for newcomers, are featured on LIT's National Transit Career Day page alongside the full curriculum.

Real curriculum, real standards

Career Pathways in Transit is not a handout. Every activity is built around a STEM skill and mapped to the standard codes teachers already use:

• Science: Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) codes, including K-ESS2-1 and the engineering design standards K-2-ETS1-1, 3-5-ETS1-1, MS-ETS1-1 and HS-ETS1-1.

• ELA and Math: Common Core State Standards (CCSS) codes for vocabulary, informational and argument writing, citing evidence and geometry.

• College and graduate: the NACE Career Readiness Competencies.

• Every state covered: state-by-state guides show teachers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia how their own standards match. This includes the 21 that use NGSS as written, the 24 with standards built on the same national framework, and states with their own standards, such as Texas TEKS and Virginia SOL.

Each page carries a "STEM ✓" strip naming the exact skill and codes it covers, so teachers can document standards alignment in their lesson plans.

What's inside

The 16-page guide meets students where they are, with a hands-on activity for each level:

• Early Elementary (K-1): a transit coloring sheet that teaches weather and shapes

• Mid Elementary (2-3): Meet the Transit Helpers, matching jobs to the people who do them

• Upper Elementary (4-5): a transit careers word search and writing prompt

• Middle School (6-8): Degree Detective, using clues to match the five featured professionals to their degrees

• High School (9-12): a Pathway Planner that maps a favorite class to a degree, certificate or apprenticeship and a transit career

• Undergraduate: a degree-to-transit-role map with next steps for internships, scholarships and jobs

• Graduate: a leadership statement for future transit leaders

The guide also includes an educator guide with timing for each activity, answer keys, a take-home family page, a "Future Transit Pro" certificate for every student, and a box for connecting classrooms with their local transit agency. It highlights the full range of transit careers, from operators, mechanics and electricians to engineers, planners, technologists and communicators. That includes paths that start with a certificate or apprenticeship, not only a degree.

Free for everyone, built to share

Career Pathways in Transit is open to everyone. No membership or sign-up is needed. Any teacher, parent, school district or organization can download it and use it today. LIT is also sending it directly to its transit agency members, ready to print and use. Agencies can share it with local school districts, bring it to classroom visits and career fairs, or use it with employees' families. Because it is aligned to standards in every state, anyone can hand it to a teacher knowing it fits that teacher's requirements.

“When we wrote our strategic plan, we committed to reaching the next generation of transit professionals before they ever pick a college major," said Christina Villarreal, Executive Director of LIT. "Career Pathways in Transit makes that real. A kindergartner coloring a bus and a graduate student writing a leadership plan are on the same path, and every one of them can see themselves in this industry. We're proud to make it free for everyone, so every classroom, family and transit agency can bring it home to their community."

Part of LIT's 2026-2028 Strategic Plan

Career Pathways in Transit advances two pillars of LIT's strategic plan:

• Mentorship and Career Pathways: strengthening career mobility through structured mentorship and leadership guidance

• Community Education and Scholarship Advancement: broadening LIT's reach through K-12 engagement and sustained scholarship support

The curriculum connects students and families directly to LIT's programs, including the LIT Scholarship Program, the LIT Navigate Mentorship Program, the LIT Leadership Academy (LITLA) and the LIT job board.

Get the curriculum

Career Pathways in Transit is free to download, print and share in English and Spanish at LIT's National Transit Career Day page: LIT National Transit Careers Page

Educators who use it are invited to email information@latinosintransit.org with their school, city, grade and number of students, along with photos of student work to be featured.

About National Transit Career Day

National Transit Career Day, held November 12, 2026 with the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), celebrates the people who keep communities moving and introduces the next generation to careers in public transportation.

About LIT

LIT is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to empowering professionals in the transit industry to achieve leadership roles by advancing opportunities for workforce development, mentorship, networking and education. LIT serves the transit workforce of all backgrounds through its Leadership Summit, Leadership Academy, mentorship, scholarship, workforce development and small business programs. Learn more at latinosintransit.org.

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