What is the Chicago ACE Mentor Program?
ACE is an after-school program for high-school sophomores, juniors and seniors who want to learn more about careers in architecture, construction management and engineering.
How does the ACE Program work?
ACE is comprised of design and construction professionals who team together and mentor a group of students during the school year. Team meetings take place after school for two hours (5:00-7:00 PM), once per week. The program is free – there is no charge to participate.
Who is eligible to apply to ACE?
- Sophomores, juniors or seniors
- Students with a minimum GPA of 2.5
- Students interested in learning more about careers in building design and construction
- Committed to actively attending and participating in weekly team
meetings in downtown Chicago design firms (Participants must arrange their own transportation downtown to team meetings.)
What are the benefits of ACE?
- Mentoring by professionals in the design and construction industry
- Learn firsthand about design and construction professions by
doing design projects, going on construction site visits, and
exploring professional workplaces - Receive college and career guidance to help you decide which
discipline or specialty may be right for you - Develop your skills in drawing, writing, presenting, problem
solving, research development and public speaking - Pursue ACE college scholarships and summer work experiences,
including paid internships, camps and our ACE Summer Design-
Build Workshop - ACE Chicago has awarded over $2 million in college scholarships and 300 internships!
REGISTRATION FOR THE 2023-24 SCHOOL YEAR IS OPEN!
Click here to register for the coming ACE session. The deadline to register is Friday, October 20. Applicants will be notified of their application status during the week of October 30th. The program will begin the week of November 13. We will send regular program updates to registered students.
Top 5 Student Questions About ACE
To get the most of the ACE experience, please commit to regularly attend team meetings and events. Your mentors volunteer their time in preparing and participating in sessions for you. Out of respect for their efforts, please let your mentors know if you cannot attend a session. Also, share your ideas, opinions and suggestions with your mentors and fellow students. Remember this program is for you – you can make it an even better program if you communicate your interests!
Beginning in November, team meetings take place in-person once per week from 5:00-7:00 PM at the downtown offices of mentoring firms. Together with your mentors, you’ll do hands-on activities, such as go on an architectural scavenger hunt, build a bridge out of spaghetti and gumdrops, play architecture trivia games, or do a hand-sketch of your house. Special events include tours of buildings under construction and field trips to college campuses to view the architecture and engineering studios. The team collaborates on planning and creating a building design, that is featured with sketches, models and an oral presentation at the End-of-Year Presentations event in April.
Once you have registered through the ACE Mentor database, you’ll be notified about the status of your application by the beginning of November. If you are accepted, we will assign you to a project team with other students from across the region and mentors. Team meetings will begin mid-November.