On a warm summer day in Denver, Colorado, a group of young women pose for a photo in front of the 47th and York Pedestrian Bridge. Decked out in hot pink hard hats and neon construction vests, the girls have just completed a tour of the site by Wilson & Company and learned how this civil engineering project has impacted the surrounding community. This site visit is part of Career Week for GIRLS, a camp that invites girls ages 13–23 to learn about transportation and construction jobs through site tours, company visits, and Q&A sessions. These camp sessions, hosted by the Denver-based non-profit, Transportation & Construction GIRL, are part of the organization’s mission to help girls pursue sustainable non-traditional careers.

Keller Hayes, Director of Transportation & Construction GIRL, watches the photo session proudly. She tells me, “My favorite part is every time I see a young woman who has a bigger, better opportunity than she had before the program.”

One of those young women is 14-year-old camper Lillian, who shares that the program has helped her realize how many choices exist when it comes to deciding on a career.

“It’s a lot of hands-on stuff and learning, and it’s been really good. [There are] so many different opportunities in construction…it’s really flexible and open, and [it’s] actually something that I’m considering.”

With over 15 years of experience in the construction and transportation industry and having been the President of the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce, Hayes has seen firsthand how opportunities in non-traditional career paths can change women’s lives.

“One woman went to interview with one of our sponsors, who had an apprenticeship program. We set it up, and when she came back from that interview, she had a job in their program where she was making $10 more an hour. She was in a program for teenage mothers, [and] she was sobbing… I mean, that’s a big deal when you’re a teen.”

Hayes continues, sharing how big of an impact non-traditional careers can have. 

“Only 11 percent of the construction workforce is women. So that means there’s a lot of opportunity. Because the other thing is, in the general workforce, women are still making 82 cents on the dollar, and construction is 99 cents on the dollar. That’s a big difference over a woman’s lifetime. Plus, it’s so cool to see these girls go, “Oh, I could do that!” 

Transportation & Construction GIRL was started in 2016 by the HOYA Foundation and launched their first events in 2017. In addition to their camps, the organization hosts a yearly Transportation & Construction GIRL Day where girls can meet successful women in the career fields and visit over 68 interactive exhibits. The event is hugely popular—last year over 1,700 girls participated, and this year, over 2,000 are already signed up. This year’s event will be held at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Golden from 8:30am–1:30pm on September 25. You can register at constructiongirl.org.

A huge benefit of T&CG events is the chance for girls to network and learn from women already in the field.

“The women in this industry are so willing to reach back,” says Hayes. “I mean, truly, I could have shadowing days all year long for girls, because the women just really want to reach back, because they look at this program [and] they go, I wish there’d been something like this when I was younger.”

This sentiment is echoed by Kimberly Ryan, an intern for Wilson & Company, who shares that a program like T&CG would have made a world of difference for her when she was younger. 

“I would have loved this. The opportunities that these girls get—it’s fantastic because this will definitely help them get really good, promising careers.”

T&CG is proof that when you provide young women with opportunities and representation, lives are changed. If you’re interested in learning more about Transportation & Construction GIRL, check out constructiongirl.org. You can support T&CG through donations, volunteering, or sponsoring an exhibit or company visit. 

Transportation & Construction GIRL Day
8:30am–1:30pm, September 25, 2025
Jefferson County Fairgrounds
15200 W. 6th Ave., Frontage Rd., Golden