Ace Mentor Program of America

Students are recruited from both public and private high schools, with special efforts made to reach those who identify as a women or person of color who might otherwise not be aware of the rewards of careers in the architecture, construction and engineering industries. Students selected for the Program are divided into teams. They work under the guidance of a team of mentors from firms representing owners, architects, construction managers and engineers (mechanical, electrical, civil and structural).teams meet approximately fifteen times during the course of the school year in an after-school Program. Initial meetings involve visits to the offices of the involved firms where the scopes of their activities are discussed and a tour of the facilities conducted. Each team then selects a design project that may require site acquisition, as well as the drawing of plans, the building of models, and other related activities. Students go through the entire design process, with the tasks they perform for their "clients" modeled on the real-life activities of their mentoring firms. Among the skills they learn are drawing to scale and estimating the cost of a job, skills that their mentors utilize in performing their daily professional duties. The national staff of the Ace Mentor Program of America supports local affiliates by providing direction for financial solvency, fiscal compliance Program development and long-term strategic planning. Staff also evaluate and review affiliate activities, develop regional activities, ensure proper communication support and coordinate national organizations and sponsors. In fiscal year 2023, the organization served approximately 12,000 students.