National Institute for Construction Excellence

The National Institute for Construction Excellence (nice) was established by members of the Kansas city design and Construction industry to introduce young people, parents and educators to the broad array of career opportunities available in the fields of engineering, architecture, Construction management and the skilled trades. Nice is a 501(c)(3), not- for-profit organization. The primary programs offered through nice are: crayons to cad middle school design project, high school cad competition, seniors' days, educators' days and ibuild showcase. Programs are based on contextual learning theory, which states that people learn best in a concrete manner involving personal participation, physical or hands-on activities, and opportunities for personal discovery. Through these programs, students learn why they are studying math, science, technology and communications, and how this knowledge will be applied in their future life experiences. Programs were developed to build alliances between the Construction industry and the education community to create a new pathway to many previously overlooked high paying career options.