Targeting high school students for over 20 years, The ACE Mentor Program annually reaches 8K students in 200 cities as they start to explore career options. More than 40k students and over 9k mentors have participate in ACE to date.  ACE's free, 40-hour-long, after-school program introduces high school students to the full process of designing and building a project and to all facets of the integrated design and construction industry. According to recent surveys, 7 out of 10 ACE seniors enroll in college in the A-E-C fields or entered a trades program. To help ACE students take the next steps along their career paths, ACE and its affiliates have awarded $14 million in scholarships since its inception.

Established in 2006, the Indianapolis ACE affiliate is celebrating its 10th anniversary.  It has grown from 2 schools to 6 schools and has awarded nearly $500,000 in scholarships to 192 students to aid in their pursuit of a career in the building industry. The participation in Indianapolis has been impressive. As of 2016 The ACE Mentor Program of Indianapolis has engaged 185 mentors who have given of their time and expertise to The ACE Mentor Program students. Equally impressive is the number of students, 745 students in Indianapolis have participated in The ACE Mentor Program. The ACE Mentor Program in Indianapolis is extremely proud of the distinguished recognition that three of their mentors have been awarded as ENR/McGraw Hill Outstanding Mentors. Raun A. Love AIA, CSI, CCCA, NOMA, NCARB, LEED AP, President at 1 LOVE Architecture, LLC; Ellie L. Stanoch, P.E. and Vanessa F. Shumate, AIA, Project Architect, American Structurepoint, Inc. were all awarded this honor out of thousands of mentors across the country. Their contributions to students, fellow mentors, and affiliates epitomize the dedication and effectiveness of ACE's nearly 2,500 mentors annually. Each of their affiliates has received a $2,500 student scholarship to be named after them. Engineering News-Record and its parent company BNP Media generously support this program.

In addition to the exceptional experience and knowledge that ACE provides students, it also greatly benefits mentors, mentor firms and sponsor companies.

ACE is one of a kind. Unlike any other program, ACE introduces high school students to the full process of designing and building a project and to all facets of the integrated design and construction industry.

ACE Serves the Entire A-E-C Industry. The entire A-E-C industry initiated and now sponsors and directs ACE in order meet its workforce needs. No other after-school or mentoring program has a comparable industry-wide focus or base.

ACE Helps Meet Future A-E-C Workforce Needs

7 in 10 of all alumni major in A-E-C in college or are already employed in the industry.

23% of class of 2014 alumni (1,655) entered college declaring a major in a design field (architecture, landscape architecture, interior design). 46% expect to major in mechanical, civil, electrical and structural engineering. (Another 13% plan to pursue other engineering fields.) 4% plan to major in construction management.

ACE's Success Has Earned National and Local Recognition

At a White House ceremony ACE received the nation's highest award for mentoring - the 2010 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring.

At a White House ceremony ACE received the nation's highest award for mentoring - the 2010 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring.

The American Institute of Architects bestowed on ACE its 2014 Collaborative Achievement Award.

Every year ACE affiliates and their leaders win awards from local governments and community organizations.

ACE Teaches Students a Broad Range of Industry-related Skills. More than 80% of ACE students agree that they learned such skills and knowledge as green design, basic engineering principles, construction cost estimation, and computer-aided design.

ACE Gives Students 21st-Century Work Life Skills Prized by Employers. 8 out of 10 alumni from the class of 2014 agree that as a result of ACE their leadership, oral and graphic communication, problem-solving, and teamwork skills improved.

ACE Increases Diversity in A-E-C Fields. By a factor of 2 to 3, ACE sends higher percentages of African-American and Hispanic students into architecture and civil, mechanical and electrical engineering programs compared to national rates of freshmen enrolled in these fields.

ACE Motivates and Assists Student to Attend College.

Almost ¾s of students report ACE increased their motivation to attend college. · ACE has awarded more than $14 million in scholarships since its founding.

7 out of 10 alumni say they felt ACE gave them an edge over their freshmen college classmates.

ACE Enhances Students' Attitudes Toward High School Studies. Two-thirds of ACE alumni from the class of 2014 believe their ACE experience made their high school studies more meaningful and motivated them to study more.

Contact

The ACE Mentor Program of Indianapolis

Bob Eckl, LEED AP 

Senior Vice President

Pepper Construction of Indiana 

beckl@pepperconstruction.com

The ACE Mentor Program of America

Monica Worheide

Regional Director - Central

The ACE Mentor Program of America

mworheide@acementor.org