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MENTORING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ABOUT CAREERS IN ARCHITECTURE, CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING THROUGH THE ACE MENTOR PROGRAM by Sue Veres Royal, Executive Director, ACE Mentor Program of Greater NY
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any high school students walk past construction sites and simply turn their music up and do not give it another thought. But for many, if they are allowed to visit these sites, their life goals are changed instantly—it is a light bulb moment, a moment of clarity for many of the students that participate in the ACE Mentor Program. This experience makes their dreams tangible. The ACE Mentor Program was founded in 1994 by a group of leading architects, contractors, and engineers in New York City; now in its 28th year, the program has served more than 77,000 students nationwide and over 15,000 students in New York alone. There are five ACE affiliates in New York State: Greater NY (NYC, Westchester County and Long Island); Western NY; Upstate Albany; Rochester; and Hudson Valley with the Greater NY affiliate being the largest in NY state and the country, serving over 1,300 students each year. ACE is committed to introducing students to careers in Architecture and the related build industry, helping them on their path and supporting them in college and as they transition into the workforce. In order to mimic a real-life project team, students are organized into teams and are supported by mentor teams comprised of professional architects, engineers and construction managers who walk through the process of what an architect does, while learning about the educational and license requirements to become an architect. Students are introduced to
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